


How Do You Want It?

by LaLa_Land_14



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23058298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLa_Land_14/pseuds/LaLa_Land_14
Summary: No one knew why Paul was so close to his stepsister, not even their parents. She had only to ask and he would give, until unexpected forces tear them apart. Can they find their way back to each other or will their choices be taken away?
Relationships: Embry Call/Original Female Character(s), Paul Lahote/Original Female Character(s), Quil Ateara V/Leah Clearwater
Comments: 11
Kudos: 43





	1. preface

It was a hot, humid day in mid-July when Daniel Lahote found the woman curled up on the porch of his cabin, her rounded stomach stretching the worn cotton of her t-shirt and sweat pouring from her face as she tried to find shade from the blazing sun. The July heat was reaching record highs and for once, the frequent rain showers that Forks was famous for were nowhere to be seen. The air was hazy, the weather report claiming nearly 98% humidity with no relief in sight.

Seeing the tiny slip of a girl, no taller than 5'4" and probably 100 pounds soaking wet if you didn't add in the heavily protruding stomach that looked as though she had swallowed a beach ball whole, he knew he had to take care of her. His mom, if she had still been alive, would have lost her mind if she saw him leaving a woman, let alone a pregnant woman, outside to bake in the outlandish heat wave.

As they sat in the air-conditioned living room with iced lemonade and soft music playing on the radio in the background, he had done some info gathering. Amanda, she had told him her name was. Amanda Parker, homeless and 8 months pregnant with a baby that had sent her boyfriend packing as soon as the little white stick had shown two lines. He had felt sympathy for the 16-year-old girl who had been abandoned by her family and friends simply because she let a college boy fill her head with dreams that had been shattered when he vanished.

He knew something about broken dreams himself. His own wife had abandoned him to take care of their infant son after she realized she didn't care to stay on the reservation where she was only a part time waitress. She had run home to Tacoma leaving only a note behind to tell him she planned to get custody of Paul eventually. Maybe that was the reason he had invited Amanda in, she knew what it was to be lonely and so did he.

They were in love by the end of the first month. She had taken over where he needed it, helping him with Paul on the nights he was bone tired and in turn he helped her with the impending birth of her daughter. He set up a second crib in his son's room for her and when the time came to rush her to the tribe's hospital at 4am, he did it with no complaints. He held her hand as she pushed and screamed her way through the birth, not even batting an eye when the doctors mistook him for the father.

After all was said and done, Amanda named the baby Danielle Jade. Jade because of Amanda's pastime of jewelry making and Danielle for the man who had saved them both because she was sure if she had stayed in the weather for much longer, she wouldn't have made it. Danielle was a tiny little thing with a shock of thick black curls on her head and light caramel colored skin that reminded Amanda that no matter what she did to pretend otherwise, Danielle would never be Daniel's baby. She was the living proof and memory of the pale, green eyed UDub student who had gotten scared off by the prospect of responsibility.

Daniel knew what she was thinking. As he held her at night, he could practically feel the emotions tearing through his young lover's mind. She was afraid, and rightfully so. At only 16, she was the mother of a beautiful newborn daughter and a near year old stepson she had claimed as her own. Even Daniel had his moments of fear; at 20, he only had his battered old work truck and a sturdy cabin built on the edge of the Rez that he had inherited from an uncle. If he ever lost his construction job, they would lose what little they had and with two kids and a young lover, he couldn't let that happen.

But bigger than the fear of their financial trouble was the fear of abandonment. Amanda was terrified that once the allure of having the perfect little family wore off, Daniel would kick her and Danielle aside just as her first love had done to her. It also drove a wedge between the couple that Daniel was still married to his wife who refused to sign the appropriate papers and he didn't make enough money to pay a lawyer to get it taken care of.

So, he did what he could to make ends meet and tried to make the best of their circumstances. Accepting odd jobs around the reservation, bouncing from construction job to construction job, occasionally traveling to Seattle for work. Amanda sold her handmade jewelry at swap meets and festivals, gaining a valued group of admirers who were always willing to purchase new items. They made it through their money troubles, saving every penny they could in case of a rainy-day emergency.

Before either of them knew it, Danielle was a year old and Paul had acclimated himself to the term 'terrible two' with a surprising gusto. Screaming, throwing toys, kicking and hiding when it was nap time or dinner time. Yet whenever he would see his baby stepsister crawling alongside him, her green eyes shining with curiosity, he always calmed down. He would slow down just so that she could keep up with his longer, stronger legs.

It was like they complimented each other. Danielle was a mild-mannered baby, small for her age and content to sit and watch the world happen around her. Paul had no such patience and seemed to love causing trouble. Be it flushing his parent’s belongings down the toilet or drawing on the walls with his crayons, he was there with a bright grin. And at his side was Danielle, watching with her smaller hand clutching the side of Paul's shirt like a security blanket as she oversaw his activities with a toothy smile and childish innocence.

And it went on like this for years. The children grew closer and closer and Paul took his role as protective brother with the utmost seriousness. As Danielle grew into a skinny girl with huge doe-like eyes and thick black hair that hung in waves to just below her ear where she kept it cut in a simple, wavy bob, Paul grew into a tall and lean boy with long black hair and a carefree smirk that usually suggested either impending pain or mischief to those around him.

Amanda and Daniel agreed that the children wouldn't be hidden from the truth. After all, Daniel was truly Danielle's father figure as much as Amanda was Paul's mother figure. There was no doubt in that; however, it would be a stretch to convince the reservation that the pale, green eyed girl was anything but mixed.

And so, it was open knowledge. Danielle knew that although Daniel was not her father, he was her dad. He had chosen to love her and her mom and that was enough for her. Amanda and Daniel never used her paternity as ammo against each other, even through rough patches when Amanda would disappear to Seattle with threats of finding someone else and Daniel would run off to George's bar in Forks where he'd have a beer and a waitress for the night before returning to make up with his girlfriend.

When they fought, Danielle would creep into Paul's bedroom across the hallway and they would lay together, her body curled against his and her face tucked into his silky, shoulder length hair as if to hide from the sounds of the yelling and arguing. His arms wrapped around her like a cocoon protecting a delicate caterpillar as they slept, and it became common for their parents to find them asleep together even on the nights they hadn't been arguing.

Their nights together ended when Paul turned 14 and discovered that girls were capable of so much more than cuddling. On the nights when their parents ran off after one argument or another, Paul would have a girl over in no time flat. It was on those nights that Danielle would end up sneaking into the Call residence and playing PlayStation with Embry until the early morning hours while his mom was working overnight at the hospital. The quiet, kind boy was always there waiting with Mortal Kombat and junk food when she couldn't take seeing Paul's girlfriends prancing in their panties anymore.

Slowly, the stepsiblings grew apart and seemingly lost some of the connection they'd formed as children much to their parent’s surprise. Nonetheless, Paul was the first one to throw a punch if he heard anyone disrespecting the dark-haired girl. Likewise, she was the first to get into a fight if she found out any of his girlfriends were unfaithful. Despite her small size, she had learned how to fight from watching Paul over the years and she could hold her own in any catfight, using her small size and agility to her advantage.

And they still found comfort in each other's presence. Sometimes without realizing it even, they gravitated towards each other like two ends of a magnet trying to cling to each other. They balanced each other; Paul found the strength to cool his hot temper with her serene, laid back attitude and Danielle found her passion for things through Paul.

Yet it was no less shocking when one hot summer, much like the one all those years ago when Daniel had let Amanda into his house, their relationship was turned on its head.


	2. flashbacks

**_Ages 5 and 6._ **

Amanda knew her children were up to something. Not that that was any different than usual, but this time she knew Danielle was an active participant. The little girl had crawled into her lap while she had been checking their bank accounts for the monthly budget and while that was uncommon in itself, the fact that Paul wasn't in another room causing a commotion was about as common as a snow storm in Los Angeles. Amanda kept her hazel eyes alert for any sign of the rambunctious boy, but Danielle had laid her tiny hand on her mother's cheek and grabbed her attention with a captivating story of the lizard she had found on the playground that day.

Long story short, his name was Tony and he was blue. Amanda couldn't help but smile, though, hearing her daughter speak so kindly about the baby reptile, only to huff in indignation while explaining that Jacob Black had been mean to it and tried to catch it.

When the story was over and Amanda had gone to the sink to rinse her coffee mug out after Danielle had run off again, she glanced out the window before doing a double take.

Danielle was standing atop the patio table, her back to the window as Paul scrambled to get up beside her, already towering over his sister although there was only a nine-month age difference. Dropping the mug unceremoniously into the sink and ignoring the sound of ceramic breaking, Amanda rushed outside to stop them before they hurt themselves, only to be astonished when she saw even more children playing in the yard.

 _'Now I know I only gave birth once, where did all these kids come from?'_ She frowned, trying to recognize the children as they moved around, squirt guns at the ready just in case they were ambushed. _'Do their parents know about this?'_

Leading her 4-year-old brother around by his hand, 8-year-old Leah Clearwater made her way over to the table where the Parker-Lahote children were sitting. She was armed with a Super Soaker while baby Seth held what looked like the tiniest water gun ever produced, ambling along beside his older sister as he looked in awe at the all-out war going on around him.

Before she could stop the Clearwater kids from climbing onto the table as well, she heard a loud scream and turned just in time to be soaked by a splash of water from a passing Quil Ateara who realized who he had just soaked and ran towards Embry and Jacob as if to deflect any and all punishment.

Amanda took a deep breath and closed her eyes to collect herself then began to yell, "Alright, what-"

A soft tug on the knee of her jeans brought her attention down to the 5-year-old standing at her side with wide, innocent green eyes. "Mommy, we just wanted to play..."

Amanda only sighed and shook her head, herding the kids in the direction of their homes and trusting Leah to help the younger ones, then grabbing Paul and Danielle’s wrists and leading them into the house. Danielle’s' head was down, and her wavy, black hair created a curtain around the young girls' face but her soft sniffles were enough to have Paul glaring at his stepmother and wrapping his arms around Danielle’s' shoulders.

Amanda sighed softly, her anger cooling down a bit as she saw her stepson protecting her daughter. "Paul, Danielle, you can't just climb on stuff like that, and you can't just invite every kid in La Push to have a water gun battle in our yard."

"Why?" Danielle's question wasn't the sarcastic, bratty tone she would've expected from Paul. She seemed genuinely confused as to why her friends couldn't come play with her and her brother.

"Because someone could've gotten hurt." Amanda knelt, gently brushing the girls' long hair away from her face and glancing at Paul who had not yet let go of his sister. "You have to ask before you invite your friends over."

"We were just playing." Paul muttered unapologetically; his dark eyes glued to Danielle as she tucked her head against his neck as if to escape the lecture.

"Well you should have asked, and you should have never climbed on the furniture like that." Amanda said sternly, her eyes moving from one child to the other to confirm that they understood. When they both nodded, she stood up and let them scamper off to their room, then headed to the bedroom she shared with Daniel to change out of her wet jeans and t-shirt.

**_Ages 10 and 11._ **

"Paul, wait for me!" Danielle pouted as she ran along behind her brother, her sundress fluttering around her legs as she caught up to the two boys. Jared Cameron gave her a glance, not unkind as much as it was dismissive, then looked at his friend, raising an eyebrow as if asking why she was coming.

Paul simply shrugged and knelt to allow Danielle to climb onto his back, his hands holding her thin calves protectively as she held onto him. "She likes fireworks."

Danielle nodded at Jared in agreement then laid her head on Paul's shoulder as he walked down the street to First Beach where people were already gathering to watch the 4th of July fireworks display on the cliffs. Jared had smiled and watched Danielle’s awed face as she looked around at the crowd forming, grinning as she saw some of her own friends and waved.

The boys spotted an old slab of driftwood near the remains of a burnt-out bonfire and they hurried over, wanting a good view of the cliffs. Paul gently sat Danielle down and helped her smooth her white dress before they both sat down, him sitting in the sand so that she could sit on the driftwood. Jared smiled and sat beside her, tugging a lock of her inky black hair teasingly and laughing when she scrunched her face at him in the most adorable grimace ever.

Paul contented himself with wrapping one hand around her tiny ankle, her bare feet resting on his leg as he bantered back and forth with Jared, letting Danielle play with his shaggy black hair as they waited in the setting sun.

When the sun was nearly down, orange and pink hues reflecting off the water’s calm surface, Embry and Quil had wormed their way into the group, sitting as close to Danielle as they dared since Paul was prone to glaring at them if they got too close and the older boy's glare was enough to give them nightmares.

Danielle was entranced by the vivid colors of the fireworks, oohing and ahhing over them as she cuddled against Paul, giggling softly when she heard the shimmering, crackling sound of her favorite gold fireworks. Paul had smiled and whispered, "Guess what?"

"What?" She whispered back, her eyes leaving the colorful show to look up at his nearly black eyes with a carefree smile on her lips.

"The green ones match your eyes." It was a simple observation, but Danielle's face broke out into a grin as if he had just fulfilled her every wish in life.

"Really?" She whispered, those green eyes sparkling happily. He nodded and gave her a tiny smile, his hand gently rubbing against her ankle as a soft, rosy blush appeared on his bronze colored skin.

"Your eyes are prettier though." His smile broadened when Danielle threw her arms around his neck and cuddled up close to his chest. He wrapped his own arms around her waist and held her as they watched the rest of the fireworks in friendly silence, their friends bantering and fooling around beside them as if they were in their own little bubble.

When the last of the fireworks had been set off and people began lighting up bonfires and parties went underway, Paul had stood up with Danielle in his arms and bid Jared goodbye before heading home down the half hidden trail in the woods. When he reached the cabin, he set Danielle down gently in order to grab the key from under the faded welcome mat since their parents had left earlier that day to go to George's bar.

Danielle stood patiently waiting for him to unlock the door, her arms crossed to ward off the slight chill in the night air. "Paul?" She asked softly, frowning as she heard the low rumble of thunder in the distance.

"Yeah?" He flipped the lights on as he stepped inside with Danielle, kicking his worn-out sneakers off by the door and looking down at his stepsister.

Danielle fidgeted slightly as she stepped out of her flip flops and looked up at her stepbrother, biting her bottom lip gently. "Can we watch-"

She didn't even have to finish her sentence; as soon as she began, he had turned to walk into the living room where the movie shelf was, searching for a moment then grabbing the familiar case from the top shelf. She smiled and ran into their bedroom, quickly changing into her pink butterfly pajamas before hopping into Paul's bed and wriggling beneath the covers just as he walked in.

He merely grabbed his pajama pants and changed then put the movie into the DVD player, tossing the remote onto his bed then crawling under the thin blanket with his stepsister. He laid back, crossing his arms behind his head and smiled when Danielle immediately curled up against him, her tiny body meshing against his and her soft hair tickling his chest as she directed her attention to the screen where the opening of Aladdin was playing.

When their father peered into their room hours later to check on them, he couldn't help but smile as he saw Paul holding the young girl protectively against his chest. _I guess they had fun at the beach._ He quietly shut the door and headed to his bedroom where Amanda had already gotten into bed.

**_Ages 12 and 13._ **

"Hey, crybaby!" Danielle gulped as she looked up, seeing the bully looming over her lunch table with a smirk. "Mind if I take this?" He grabbed the peanut butter sandwich she had packed for her lunch and took a giant bite out of it, despite Danielle’s protests.

"But...that was mine..." Danielle murmured dejectedly, knowing that she stood no chance of winning against the older boy and judging by the people around them at the other lunch tables, she would have no allies.

"Aw, what are you gonna do? Cry about it? Go ahead, go cry to your whore of a mom!" He laughed cruelly and Danielle could see the peanut butter globs stuck on his tongue, making her stomach churn as her heart began to beat wildly and she tried to force her tears back.

Before she could retort, a hand grabbed the collar of the boy’s t-shirt and lifted him off of the ground a good five inches, letting his feet dangle freely. Danielle smiled, relieved to see Paul glaring hatefully down at the 8th grader who had gone quiet, struggling against Paul's rough grip.

She stood up and gathered her lunch, tucking it into her floral-patterned backpack and walking up to Paul, gently resting her hand on his back, feeling the muscles tensed beneath his skin even through his black t-shirt. "Paul...c'mon, you made your point."

He regarded her with a blank stare before dropping the boy on his ass, leaving him to sputter and try to compose himself as Paul turned to Danielle. His eyes softened, roaming her face for any sign of hurt or injury. "You okay?"

"Yeah, let's just go." She blushed softly and looked down only for Paul to lift her chin gently and look into her still watery eyes.

"Okay." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively and they turned to walk out of the cafeteria when the boy called out, clearly not satisfied with being humiliated by a 7th grader in front of his friends.

"Yeah, that's right. Run away like a pussy! Maybe that's why your dad gets shitfaced every weekend at George's, he's ashamed of you cuz you're a bitch!"

 _‘Bad idea, Bryson.’_ Danielle closed her eyes and cringed as Paul's arm left her shoulders and she could hear his fist contacting flesh. She turned slowly just in time to see Paul knock Bryson into the floor and start pummeling his face, his fist growing bloodier with each solid hit.

"Paul!" She cried out, seeing teachers running towards the fight. Not worried about him turning on her, she hurried over to him and grabbed his arm, pulling on it and preventing him from punching again. "Paul, we gotta go!"

He looked up, his eyes wild with unbridled fury but he let her pull him away before they ran out the doors together; they didn’t look back until they hit the tree line, then continued until they came to the small cave at the base of the trail leading to the cliff tops that they used as a makeshift hideout.


	3. Chapter 3

**ages 14 and 15.**

It was raining again.

It always rained, it seemed. Especially when she was home alone staring up at her ceiling, unable to sleep and quickly growing frustrated with her own thoughts. Every time she felt like she was about to doze off, she came up with something new to stew over.

Dani let out a heavy sigh as she turned her bleary eyes to the glowing letters on the purple clock/speaker cube on her bedside table, groaning when she realized she only had about three hours left to sleep.

With a petulant scowl at the clock, she sat up and brushed her wavy, shoulder length black hair out of her vision before surveying the room and grabbing her fuzzy black and white slipper boots from beneath the edge of the bed. _‘I have to wake up for work at 6:30; if I call off again Sue will kill me...especially after Saturday...’_

She slipped her feet into her slippers then stood, shivering slightly as the cool night air chilled her and sent goosebumps down her arms and legs. Quietly and avoiding the creaky floorboards, out of habit more than necessity since no one else was home, she crossed the hallway to her stepbrother’s bedroom and crept in, leaving the door cracked open behind her so he would know she was in there if he came home before dawn.

She couldn’t help but smile as she saw the messy bed, the slept-in, off-white sheets looking somehow more inviting than her own turquoise bedding, and she kicked her slippers off as she dove into the bed. Immediately, the smell of Paul's Axe deodorant and something spicier enveloped her like a soothing comforter and she felt her eyes grow droopy as soon as she tugged the thin green blanket up over herself.

Finally, her face pushed into the cotton of his pillow and huffing his scent like an addict, she managed to doze off. She could still hear the rain hitting the roof of the cabin and the thunder rolling in the distance but she felt like she was floating, half awake, until a warm, muscular body slipped into bed behind her and a heavy, bronze arm wound itself around her waist.

Stretching and turning to press against him, she opened her sleepy eyes and smiles when she saw his dark eyes twinkling down at her in the dim moonlight. "Hi..." She whispered in greeting, tucking her head against his shoulder as his fingers tangled in the ends of her hair.

"Hey." He grumbled, holding her against him and humming softly. "Couldn't sleep?"

Dani shook her head and tilted her head back to look up at his face, sighing quietly to herself. "Nah, couldn't get comfortable. I have to be at the diner at 7, too." Her jaw popped as she let out a long yawn before hooking one leg around his hip to pull him closer.

He obliged, letting her wrap herself around him and holding her protectively as he began to rub her back, right above the curve of her hip where her tank top had bunched up. He couldn't help but smile as he heard her let out a pleased hum and press closer to him; he knew she couldn't sleep well when he was out, just like he couldn't sleep when she was gone off to play video games and whatever else with Embry.

Soon enough he heard her breathing even out in tiny puffs against his chest and her body relaxed, using him as some sort of oversized body pillow as she slept for the next few hours peacefully. He stayed awake himself, knowing that if he didn't wake her up, she'd oversleep, and Sue was already angry at her for whatever she had done with Leah last weekend.

 _‘Probably skipped their shift to go surfing.’_ His eyes slowly roamed her sleeping face, from her plump, soft lips to her cute button nose, her thick black eyelashes to her plucked thin eyebrows. He gently traced his fingertips along her lower back and up over the scar he knew was on her back just below her shoulder blade and laughed softly when she shivered and arched her back against his touch.

"What're you doin'?" Her voice was muffled where her face was pushed against his chest and he pulled away slightly to glance down at her sleepy face.

He kept rubbing her back softly as he replied, knowing she was going to struggle to get through today. "It's almost 6:30, don't you have to work at 7?" Playfully, to wake her up a bit, his fingertips brushed against the thin strap of her camisole and plucked it, making it snap against her smooth skin.

She jumped at the feeling and slapped at his bare chest, though there was a small smile on her lips as she sat up. "You're an ass, Paul."

"But you love me." He grinned at her, crossing his arms behind his head and rolling onto his back to sprawl out in the bed. She knelt beside him, leaning down to peck his lips softly as she blushed.

"I do. And you love me, right?" Her smile widened into a grin as he brushed a few loose tendrils of hair away from her temple then leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose.

She could smell the slight odor of beer on his breath as he nodded and whispered, "I love you more than I should sometimes."

"Who's to judge how much you should love someone?" He loved the little shrug of her shoulders she threw in after she spoke. A 'who cares, deal with it' kind of shrug that only made her more lovable, in his opinion. He didn't reply though, only watched her lean over the edge of the bed to slip her slippers on then stand up, stretching with a soft groan. "C'mon, I'll make us some breakfast."

"Meaning you'll burn some toast and try to rehydrate it with butter while some scrambled eggs congeal on the stove?" The smile on her face as she threw him the middle finger and walked out told him she didn't mind his teasing. The fear of another kitchen fire told him he needed to follow her before the Forks fire department had to intervene again.

So, he threw on some sweatpants and loped after her, walking into the kitchen to find her perched on the countertop waiting for him with a sweet smile. "You didn't really think I was gonna try cooking again, did you?"

She helped him out, handing him the ingredients and tools he needed until he shooed her away, telling her to go get dressed because if Sue decided to kill her for being late, he'd have no one to bug anymore. Knowing he was right, she hurried to her room to change into the sage green cargo pants and white t-shirt she had laid out the night before. Carrying her black slip on shoes back to the kitchen with her, she leaned against the doorway to watch Paul move around the kitchen gracefully.

"It's rude to stare, y'know." She could practically hear the laughter in his deep voice as he turned to her with an omelet plated in his hand. She poked her tongue out at him as she grabbed the plate and sat at the table, shoving a stack of old sales papers aside to make room.

"Yeah, like you care. You get off on attention." The smirk he gave her when he turned around sent her into a giggling fit, covering her mouth with her hand as she watched him point an egg covered whisk at her.

"That's not all I get off on." His voice had a new rumble to it, one she had heard a few times at the diner when she was stuck waitressing during one of his dates.

She returned his smirk, raising one eyebrow in a perfect arch. "Are you using your sex voice on me, Paul Lahote?"

"Is it working on you, Danielle Parker?" He leaned down on the table, gazing into her eyes with a defiant quirk of his lips.

"You wish." She scooped the last bite of her eggs into her mouth and stood up, poking his cheek softly as she walked by to grab her hoodie from the hall closet. _‘You have no idea, Paul.’ "_ You gonna pick me up after my shift?"

"Yup, 3:30 right?" He rubbed the back of his neck as he stretched, the muscles he seemed to have gained overnight flexing as she nodded, looking anywhere but his chest.

"Yeah, Leah and I work all day all week." She sighed, the soft crimson blush spreading up her light caramel skin and giving her away.

Paul smirked, walking over and resting his arms on her shoulders as he peered down at her. "Surfing again?"

"It was a beautiful day! Seriously, we forgot all about our shift!" Her fingertips gently ran along his biceps, massaging them gently as she tried to hide a yawn.

"I'll never understand that crap." He grumbled, slipping his arms down to her waist to hold her to his chest. "It's just floating on a board, how is it that fun?"

"If you'd ever come to the beach with me, I could show you. You just wanna be a baby and quit when you fall." Her hands slipped up his amrs to run through the silky hair that reached his shoulders, longer than hers even.

His hands squeezed her hips softly before he lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his hips instinctively. "Oh, a baby, am I?"

"Yeah, a baby." She smirks down at him, meeting his challenge with her hands resting casually on his shoulders as she let him walk with her towards the front door.

"That's not what my date last night said." He gave her hips one last squeeze before letting her drop down to her feet at the door. She rolled her eyes and faked a gagging sound as she headed outside, pulling her hoodie on once she noticed the dull, grey clouds overhead.

"Whatever, Paul. If you keep sticking your junk in whoever offers, it's gonna fall off one day." The loud, braying sound of his laughter followed her as she walked down the small dirt driveway towards the diner on Main Street.

oooooooooo

"My feet hurt, my back hurts, it's raining, and Sam is still acting like a jackass!" Leah ranted as they finished wiping down the tabletops under Sue's watchful eyes.

"Well, have you tried talking to him?" Dani murmured as she stood up, stretching her sore back and huffing to blow a stray hair out of her eyes.

Leah rolled her eyes, scoffing as she tossed her rag into the bucket of cleaner and sat down at the booth to rest. "Every night. All I get is ' _you wouldn't understand'_ or ' _I can't talk about it right now, Lee.'_ "

Hearing Leah imitate the deep, bass-filled voice of her boyfriend had Dani grinning, but she knew better than to show it to Leah while she was irritated. "Give him some time. You know he would never hide anything from you unless it was important."

"But if it's that important, why can't he tell me? We're supposed to be engaged; he can't keep big shit from me." Leah ran an aggravated hand through her long, thick hair before letting her head drop against the leathery back of the booth.

Dani sighed softly and sat beside her best friend, lacing her fingers with the older girl's as she murmured, "At least no one knows about the test yet..."

"Yeah." Leah glanced to make sure her mother wasn't eavesdropping before leaning closer to whisper, "He hasn't touched me since before he disappeared though. Do you think he knows?"

"I don't think so, Lee." Dani laid her head against the soft padding of the booth and closed her eyes tiredly, a yawn forcing it’s way out of her throat. "Crap, sorry..."

Leah shook her head, wrapping her arm around Dani's shoulders as they rested together, their heads laying against each other as Leah murmured, "You're lucky, you have Paul to cuddle with. Sam doesn't even hold me anymore."

"Paul has been home a total of maybe 8 hours this month." Dani scoffed softly, casting her eyes out the window to see the rain pouring down. "If he isn't on a date, he's out with Jeremiah and Cody."

"Really?" Leah frowned as she looked up at Dani, her hair falling out of its neat ponytail. "He told me last night that he was going to Port Angeles, I figured he was going with you."

Dani shook her head, sighing as she slumped down into the seat. "Nope. Came home about 4am stinking like beer and stale sex."

Leah clicked her tongue softly in sympathy and sat up, sighing as she looked despondently out the window at the pouring rain. "He's a dick, Dani. Girls at school go on about how rough he is-"

"I don't want to know what any of those bitches think about him. All they do is get him drunk and screw him." Dani nearly spat the words, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring down at the tabletop petulantly. “They don’t know him.”

"I know, Dani. But you have to admit, he's kind of a raging asshole to any girl who isn't you." Leah raised her hands in surrender, standing up to go clock out. "You want a ride, babe?"

"No thanks, Paul promised he'd pick me up." Dani stood up behind Leah and put their cleaning supplies away before clocking out and stepping over to the door to wait for Paul's beat up, old Camaro to show up.

And she waited. And waited. And, just to be sure, she waited some more. For two hours, she waited by the door watching the pouring rain.

Finally, when there was a break in the rain and she thought she could make it home without getting soaked, she made a run for it. _‘I can't believe he flaked on me...what if he's hurt or something?’_ Once that thought was stuck in her mind, she walked faster through the woods hoping he had just fallen asleep or something.

When she finally reached the cabin, she slowed down a bit when she saw his car still parked in the driveway exactly where it had been when she left. _‘Well he's probably just asleep I guess...’_

Quietly, she walked into the cabin and hung her damp hoodie up to dry before walking to Paul's bedroom in the back of the house and finding the door ajar, his loud snores telling her she was right. _‘At least he's okay. And I'm not very wet.’_ She kicked off her damp shoes and slowly slipped into the room, frowning as she saw his sweatpants tossed to the foot of the bed and the covers rumpled, barely covering his body.

"Paul?" She murmured softly, crawling up beside him and laying down, nudging his shoulder softly. He stretched and opened his eyes, smiling up at her blissfully before his entire face dropped into a mask of pure horror.

"Oh shit, Dani. You had to walk home, didn't you?" He wrapped his warm arms around her waist and frowned, glancing at the clock. "I didn't mean to fall asleep after...after you left."

Dani could tell he was trying to hide something, but she didn't want to start a fight, so she only shrugged. "It's fine. I'll get Leah to drive me home tomorrow."

"No, I swear this was the only time. I'll be there when you get off from now on." He pressed his soft lips against her collarbone in a soft plea for her to forgive him, his hands rubbing along her sore back relaxing the tensed muscles.

She let out a soft sigh as her body relaxed but she tried to stay upset, trying to stick to her resolve, "But...Leah can just..."

The feeling of his body pressing against hers and warming her damp, chilly body made her trail off as she snuggled against him. "C'mon, Dani. I'll make it up to you, I swear."

"Alright..." She murmured quietly, tucking her head beneath his chin and inhaling, hoping to catch a whiff of the unique Axe and cinnamon smell that seemed to ooze from his pores. Instead she smelled sweat and a nauseatingly sweet, sugary perfume that made her nose itch and burn. That finally flipped a switch and the proverbial light bulb sprang to life above her head. "You ditched me for a girl, didn't you?"

He didn't even try to deny it, the guilt on his handsome face was enough to confirm it. With a disgusted scoff, she started to sit up and was halted by his arms holding her down. "Dani, I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I just lost track of time."

"Let me up." She glared at him, wriggling against his arms that caged her in. She was no match against his strength, being half his size, but staying still didn't appeal to her.

"No, we need to talk." His arms tightened around her and for a moment, she stilled and just glared up at him. His dark brown eyes were gazing down at her with remorse, but she could tell he was getting annoyed.

"I am laying in the bed where you just banged some girl who stinks like expired Bath & Body Works perfume and you're still naked, probably with a dick that still reeks of ho. Let me up and we can talk but I'm not gonna sit in your sex juices." She forced herself to sound calm, her voice threatening to waver as her heart thudded in her chest.

He hesitated a moment before loosening his arms and letting her sit up. She stood immediately and dusted her pants off as if the girl's germs had somehow clung to her clothing. "Alright, say what you gotta say so I can go take a bath and sleep."

"I...I'm sorry I flaked on you, I swear I'm going to make it up to you. And for the record," He lifted the blankets, showing he had on a pair of boxers. "I washed off."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing and letting her shoulders slump in defeat. "Fine...I was worried, you know that? I thought you were hurt or something..." She blushed, avoiding looking at Paul as she mumbled, "Sorry I woke you up..."

Paul sighed softly and stood up, wrapping his arms around Dani and hugging her tightly, whispering, "I'm sorry I worried you."

Dani stayed tense for a moment before relaxing and looping her arms around his slim waist, laying her head against his chest. They stayed like that for what felt like a few long minutes until she mumbled again.

"I hope you bleach those sheets."

oooooooooo

"Dani, Paul! Dinner's ready!" Amanda called out from the kitchen as she sat the pan of pot roast on the table.

Dani raised her head tiredly from Paul's chest and yawned, kicking her blankets off her body and sitting up slowly to check her clock. _‘Wow, we slept for longer than I thought...wonder if dad's home too.’_

She glanced over at Paul and smiled seeing him staring up at her. "Hey, do you think dad will be home tonight?"

He shrugged as he sat up and stretched, "I dunno. If mom is home, probably so." Gently moving Dani to the side and disentangling their legs, he stood up and walked towards his room to change into something other than his boxers.

Dani sighed softly and stood, smoothing her clothes as she glanced at herself in the floor length mirror on her closet door. Her hair was a tousled, wavy cloud around her head, but she didn't feel like forcing a brush through it so with a shrug at her reflection, she walked down the hall to the kitchen.

"Hey, mom." She hugged her mother briefly before glancing hopefully at the chocolate cake cooling on the counter.

Amanda chuckled softly and ruffled her daughter’s hair before gesturing to the table. "Dinner first, then you can have cake."

"Can't I have cake first if I promise to eat my dinner too?" Dani tried to bargain, already eyeing the cream cheese frosting calling to her from the countertop.

"Nope." Amanda couldn't hold back her laughter as Dani's face crumpled into a pout and she trudged towards the table to sit. "Aw, don’t give me that wounded kitten look."

"Meh." Dani mumbled, poking her tongue out at her mother as she sat down then smiled as Paul appeared beside her, now wearing a pair of worn jeans and a black t-shirt.

"We still going to the beach later?" He asked as he reached over and tore a piece of the cake off, earning a glare from Amanda.

Dani nodded, smiling in thanks as he tore the soft cake apart and gave her half. "Yeah, after dinner."

"You trying to teach this asshole to surf again?" Daniel smirked at his son as he walked into the house, surprisingly sober this time.

Paul smirked right back as he retorted, "Fuck no, she gave up last time when I scraped her board."

"Language." Amanda reminded absentmindedly, more out of habit than anything else since she knew better than to think the two Lahote men would change.

Daniel sat at the table and reached over to ruffle Dani's hair gently, making her giggle softly and shake her head to fix her hair. "Dad, guess what?"

"What, baby girl?" Daniel smiled as he began to fill his plate, watching his stepdaughter with a twinkle in his warm brown eyes.

Dani swirled her fork around in her mashed potatoes, smiling softly as she peeked up at her dad. "Paul told me we could practice driving this summer."

"That's great, Dani." Daniel smiled as he looked at his stepdaughter, then his son. "You letting her use the Camero?"

Paul nodded, swigging a can of soda as he glanced at her before smirking, licking his lips as he tossed the can into the trash bin. "Yup, if she thinks she can handle it."

"I can handle your rust bucket just fine." Dani fluttered her lashes at him innocently as she took a bite of her dinner. "I'm only worried about it breaking down on me before I can pass the driving test."

Paul snorted indignantly and rolled his eyes, leaning back until his chair was balanced on the back two legs. "No way in hell would my car ever break down if she's being driven right."

"Sure, that's why last week Cody had to get the jumper cables and Jeremiah had to push the car down the street." She stood up, avoiding the arm that reached for her as Paul let his chair drop back onto all four legs.

"Hey, c'mere you brat." He chuckled, chasing after her as she ran upstairs to change out of her sweaty, rumpled work outfit.

Amanda and Daniel shared a laugh at their children's antics before Amanda began to rub her temples, her eyes squinting against the dull pain as she stood to gather the dishes. Daniel grabbed his girlfriend's hand and tugged her gently into his lap, frowning in concern as she laid her head on his shoulder. "The headaches getting worse?" Wordlessly, she nodded then gasped softly as the movement made her vision blur. "Promise me you'll call the medical center in the morning and get an appointment?"

"I swear, Danny." She mumbled and leaned up to kiss his soft lips tenderly, barely even noticing as Dani and Paul slipped out the front door hand in hand.

oooooooooo

"So, you're saying you'd rather be a werewolf than a vampire?" Dani asked as they walked along the beach, feeling the humid air on her heated skin even through her tank top and cutoff jeans.

"Yup." Paul shrugged as he watched her bend down to grab a few rocks to skip across the water, pressing against her back as they remained silent to watch the small ripples from the stones.

"Why?" She murmured softly as she leaned back against his broad chest, her hands coming to rest on his arms where they crossed over her stomach.

The warmth of his breath against her ear made her eyes slip closed and her body press closer against his as he nearly whispered, "I'd rather be a wolf than a walking corpse."

"But if you were a wolfman, what if you couldn't control it or recognize who you attacked?" Dani’s teeth bit into her bottom lip slightly as she felt his warm fingers brush against the sliver of skin between the button of her jeans and her tank top, just below her belly button.

"I'd never attack you, Dani. Vampire or werewolf. I could taste you though, just a little." She could practically feel his smirk as he bit into her shoulder gently, grazing his teeth against the strap of her shirt teasingly. "What would you rather be?"

"A fairy." She stated resolutely, turning in his arms to look up into his glowing eyes, seeing the moons reflection in them. "But if I had to pick between a vampire and a werewolf, I'd rather be a wolf."

His eyebrows nearly flew into his hairline as he rubbed her hips gently, watching her lips quirk upwards in amusement. "Oh yeah? Why?"

"Wolves are more organic, I suppose. Vampires are eerily beautiful and seductive but it's a creepy spell, not true attraction...plus, how could I surf if I burst into flames in sunlight?" She laced her fingers with his as they began to walk again, her head laying against his bicep.

"Who's bursting into flames?" A voice called out behind them and Dani smiled as she turned to see Quil and Embry jogging to catch up, staying closer to her and keeping a wide range between them and Paul.

"Oh, Paul and I were talking about whether we would rather be a werewolf or a vampire." She blushed softly as Paul wrapped a possessive arm around her shoulders. "We watched Underworld earlier."

"Oh, that vampire woman is hot! I'd totally let her bite me all day long." Quil replied with a grin only to pout when Embry elbowed him in the ribs before looking down at Dani.

"What did you choose?" Embry smiled softly as she reached over and hooked her pinky finger around his.

"Wolf." She glanced up at Paul and murmured, "Both of us chose wolf."

Embry's smile lost a bit of authenticity as he finally acknowledged the tall, muscle bound teenager wrapped around his best friend with a slight nod of his head. "Cool."

"Yup." Dani nodded, casting her green-eyed gaze down at her bare feet, still leaning against Paul with her hand linked to Embry's. The tension between the boys was palpable, but neither would act on it with her between them.

When they reached their original destination, the burnt-out pit where the official bonfires were held, Paul finally let her go and she immediately felt the loss of their connection as he called out to a couple shadowy figures in the parking lot a few yards away.

When they reached the bonfire circle, Dani could barely keep her eyes from rolling. Cody Gates and Jeremiah Lakewood, two would-be seniors who had somehow managed to stay sophomores for three years, came over with cases of beer in hand. She shared a glance with Quil and Embry before standing up from her seat on some driftwood and arching her back to stretch her tired muscles.

"I see you brought the sister-wife tonight, Paulie." Cody laughed as he opened a beer, slurping at the foam that overflowed the can as he stared Dani down.

Paul scoffed, not looking at Dani’s cool, hurt face as he reached into the case and cracked open his own beer. "Stepsister, man."

"Same thing, y'all act like you're married, walking around cuddling and shit." Jeremiah joined in on the hazing, smirking at the three freshmen standing on the edge of the circle.

"Well considering I get more ass than you any day of the week..." The rest of his retort was drowned out as Dani rolled her eyes and turned away, walking quickly down the beach towards town with Quil and Embry on her heels.

"Those guys are dicks." Quil mumbled, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he looked glumly out at the water. He had been on the receiving end of their teasing more times than he could count.

"Big hairy dicks." Dani agreed, then blushed as Embry snorted softly. "What?"

"Imagine a dick with Cody's haircut." He said, laughter clear in his voice as he waited for his companions to envision the unfortunate bowl cut on an unsuspecting penis.

Dani giggled and hid her face against the sleeve of Embry’s faded Led Zeppelin t-shirt as Quil guffawed beside them. "Shit, Em, that's bad."

Embry nodded, still grinning as he looked at his best friend and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Quil, my boy..."

"Yeessss?" Quil drew out the syllables, smirking just to annoy Embry as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"You said you had something for us to do." Embry rolled his eyes good-naturedly at Quil's nonsense before throwing a long arm over Dani’s shoulders. "The moron's been babbling about a surprise all day."

"I take offense to that." Quil shook his head before reaching into the lining of the old camo coat he had on, pulling out an old mason jar with a triumphant grin.

"You're trying to poison us." Dani’s eyes widened as she realized what the clear liquid in the jar was. "You're trying to poison us with your grandpa’s moonshine."

"Noooo, it's perfectly safe! See?" He cracked open the lid and immediately the three young teens felt their eyes water a bit.

"Can't see anything if my eyes are burnt out of my head." Dani retorted, rubbing her eyes to soothe the sting.

"Oh, c'mon Dani! Just a taste?" He held the jar out to her invitingly, pouting his most convincing pout and knowing she’d give in.

She stared at him for a moment, then glanced down at the seemingly harmless jar between them. Finally, it seemed she lost the war with her logical side as she grabbed the jar from Quil's grip and slowly took a tiny sip.


	4. Chapter 4

"Yeah, well I dare you to run down the beach naked!" Quil shouted at Embry, staggering around the makeshift bonfire they'd built clumsily and plopping down on the log beside Dani, sloshing moonshine out of the jar and on both of their legs.

Embry shook his head, somehow the most sober of all of them, and leaned back in the sand, laying back on his elbows to look up at the brilliant navy sky and glowing stars. "Hell no, Quil, last thing I need is to get arrested for streaking on the beach."

"Pussy." Quil muttered as he took another swig of the clear, burning liquid. Dani watched Embry for a moment before standing up, stumbling a bit in the sand before collapsing beside him and cuddling against his side.

He smiled softly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she looked up at the sky with squinted eyes, trying to get her eyes to focus. "The sky's pretty tonight." Rolling onto her stomach and propping her head up on her hand, she pouted slightly at Embry as she whispered conspiratorially, "C'mon, Emmy...I'll go with you, it'll be fun!"

"You'd really run naked across the beach with me?" He raised his eyebrow at her, trying to smother the blush rising on his caramel colored cheeks. When she nodded with a bright, excited grin, he heaved a sigh before shaking his head once more. "If I'm gonna run naked with you, I'm not doing it in front of that jackass."

"Then you gotta pay up!" Quil called out to the cuddling teens, leaning back to drink the last swallow of the moonshine and falling backwards off his log. Dani collapsed against Embry’s chest, giggling and pressing her face into his chest to hide it.

Embry laughed softly and wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders, knowing she was probably the drunkest of their trio. Everyone knew Dani was a lightweight, thanks to an eighth-grade party that got out of hand. "Dani, honey, you're drunk."

"So are you!" She whined quietly, relaxing against his body as she curled up with her legs in his lap.

"Not as much as you though." His hands slowly caressed her legs, massaging them as she relaxed on his chest.

"If you won't run naked, then I dare you two to kiss!" Quil slurred, then laughed uncontrollably while Dani and Embry stared at each other in heavy silence.

"Is that okay?" Embry whispered so that Quil wouldn't hear, his fingertips brushing along the back of her thigh just beneath the swell pf her ass.

A moment passed before she nodded, a soft blush on her high cheekbones. "I've never...really..."

"Me either." Embry gave her what he hoped was a comforting smile, his heart racing in his chest as he slowly ran his hand up her back, lowering her head to his with a hand nestled in her thick hair.

Her lips felt like silk against his and he could taste the sharp, refreshing mint of her lip balm as they met. As their lips brushed against each other, he could feel her heart hammering against his chest through their thin t-shirts and he kept one hand on the small of her back, rubbing tiny circles to soothe her. To his surprise, he could feel her tongue brushing against his bottom lip, and he parted his lips immediately for her on instinct. Her tongue slowly brushed against his own, teasing him, then retreated as she pulled back for breath, her dark eyes glowing and her mouth parted slightly. Embry's hand came to a halt on her back and they just stared at each other, neither sure what to say.

Quil stood up after a moment and stumbled, holding onto the lapels of his coat as if it would give him balance. "'M gonna go..." He slurred, stumbling off in the direction of his house and leaving Embry and Dani in the sand, befuddled.

They laid there a moment, recollecting their scattered thoughts before Dani raised her head, her eyes sparkling as she murmured, "Let's go skinny dipping."

"You're serious?" His eyes widened a bit as he raised up on his elbows, watching her clamber to her knees beside him and nod excitedly, any shyness they had after their kiss dissipating in her alcohol-induced excitement.

"Of course! C'mon, how many times do we get to be drunk teenagers on First Beach?" She tugged on his hand insistently and pouted, knowing he'd never be able to resist her if she did. "Please, Embry?"

He stared into her eyes for a moment before heaving a sigh and sitting up, looking around to make sure no one else was around to witness what he was about to let her talk him into. "Fine, but only for a minute."

Dani grinned, standing up and slowly pulling her tank top off, making Embry's eyes widen as he saw her cream colored, lace patterned bra and the edge of her matching panties peeking out from above the waistband of the cutoff jeans he was sure had once belonged to Paul. He forced himself to look away as he slowly stood and undressed, a crimson blush flaring up on his cheeks as he realized he had no way of hiding his body’s reaction to her nudity.

As he was panicking, looking around for an excuse to back out without upsetting her, she shed the rest of her clothes and bolted past him towards the water. "Last one there has to kiss Quil!"

"No way!" He smiled, running after her as he followed her into the shallow water, watching the moonlight glow and shine on her smooth, pale caramel skin. He caught a glimpse of her breasts as she turned around halfway to throw him a teasing smile and his heart leapt into overdrive as his jaw dropped open. _'Damn, she must be drunker than I thought...'_

He hurried into the water behind her, hoping to hide the now raging boner that had popped up between his legs. She smiled and dove under the water for a long moment, invisible beneath the dark waves until she resurfaced right in front of him, her legs brushing against his as she treaded water to stay afloat. His blush intensified and he moved back, leaving a wide berth between them and making her frown slightly and cross her arms over her breasts. "Emmy...why're you acting like I just admitted to having a fourth nipple on my ass?"

He couldn't hold back the small, nervous laugh as he relaxed a bit, forcing his eyes back to the beach where the fire was slowly dwindling to a few embers. "We haven't been naked together since we were like 6, Dani."

"True." She shrugged slightly and turned to swim towards the shore, her hair sticking to her neck and shoulders as she glanced around to make sure the beach was still empty before walking out of the water completely. As if forgetting she were naked, she stood by the dying fire and stretched, her back arching like a lithe, exotic cat as water droplets ran down her petite body and dropped onto the damp sand by her feet. Embry swam toward her slowly as if in a daze, his eyes roaming her smooth, toned body and his drunken mind blurting out the first thing that popped into his thoughts.

"Your boobs are nice." Immediately, his eyes widened and he stood frozen, ankle deep in the shallow water of the shoreline, watching for her reaction with bated breath; she paused for a moment then giggled, collapsing into the sand and spreading her arms to make a sand angel.

"Why, thank you, Embry!" After a few more giggles and a soft snort, she smiled at him and blushed seeing his hands covering his crotch as he avoided her gaze. "Come sit?"

Glad that he hadn't offended her, he slowly stepped over to his clothes and grabbed his cutoff jeans, yanking them on as she slipped her panties and shirt on, falling backwards and returning to the sand once her head began swimming too much to focus on dressing. He smiled as he watched her run her slim fingers through the sand, sifting through it with her eyes closed as she relaxed. "Hey, Dani?"

"Hm?" She opened her eyes, the soft green orbs meeting his as she raised up on her elbows to listen.

He sat beside her, twiddling his fingers together out of habit as he stared into the warm orange embers of the fire. _C'mon, just say it._ "I- I really-"

"Dani, get your fucking clothes on." Paul stood on the other side of the fire with a beer can in his hand, the thin aluminum slowly getting crushed in his fist as he glared murderously at them- or more specifically, _Embry._

Dani sat up immediately, reaching for her jeans as a bright red blush of humiliation covered her face. Embry dove toward his own clothes and struggled to get dressed, getting his head stuck in his shirt in his haste as he tried not to antagonize Paul any further.

Everyone on the rez knew Paul had a temper, especially when it came to Dani. He had been on the verge of getting expelled a couple times for fighting at school and he wasn't afraid to do it again. Embry also knew he didn't have a chance in hell of winning in a fight with him; Paul was a year older and had more muscle than Embry, Quil, and Jacob combined.

"Paul, calm down!" Dani huffed as she stood up, carrying her shoes tucked under her arm as she paused to help Embry untangle himself from his t-shirt. "We were only swimming, and I'm pretty sure you've done far worse than that in far more public places."

"We're going home." His hand grabbed hers, pulling her towards the road leading to their home. She allowed him to lead her, rolling her eyes as she turned to mouth to Embry, 'Sorry, I'll come by tomorrow after work.' Embry nodded, relieved that Paul hadn't tried to kill him and thankful she had diverted him. If anyone would be able to stop him from doing so, it was his best friend.

When they were nearly out of sight of the beach, Paul turned to face her, picking her up by the waist so that she was eye level with him. "Why the fuck are you getting drunk with that loser?"

"Because he's my friend. Same reason you get drunk with those losers you call friends." Dani crossed her arms, glaring at him as he started walking again, his hands holding the backs of her thighs to support her now.

"He has a crush on you." Paul grumbled, glaring over her shoulder into the woods as she rolled her eyes. _‘And he says that as though it’s a bad thing.’_

"That's irrelevant and probably not true." As she said it, memories of their kiss sent a blush straight to her cheeks. "But even if it were true, it wouldn't be any of your business. How many girls have you banged?"

"A few." She wouldn’t let herself be brushed off by his terse reply. She could feel his grip tightening on her legs, but she knew he would never do anything to hurt her.

"Have I ever thrown a fit and ran them off?" She raised an eyebrow and looked into his dark brown eyes for a moment before he looked away, something flashing in the dark orbs that she couldn't place.

"You shouldn't be out getting drunk with anyone, especially half naked. Why the hell were you half naked?" His hand moved up her back to her shoulder blades, his long fingers nearly reaching both sides of her back when laid flat. "And where is your bra?"

 _‘Crap, I must've left it...’_ Dani sighed and rolled her eyes softly as Paul stepped onto the porch of their cabin. Neither her father's truck nor her mother's green Mazda was parked out front, so she didn't bother to cover herself as she wriggled out of Paul's arms and stalked into the house.

"We went swimming, that's all. I took my bra off so it wouldn't get wet." The kitchen cabinets slammed, echoing in the eerily silent house as she searched for the stash of pain pills that she knew her mother kept hidden. Her head was pounding, and once Paul was riled up it was sure to be a long night.

"Did he try anything?" Paul's voice was quiet, and she felt a slight shiver go down her back as she turned to face him, bottle of ibuprofen in hand.

"You want the truth? You gotta promise you won't pick a fight." She levelled her gaze at him and nearly scoffed as he only glared at her, his soft, full lips set in a hard, stony line. "Promise, Paul."

"Fine." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her, nostrils flaring as he waited.

She sighed, running her fingers through her damp hair and averting her eyes to avoid what she was sure would be an atomic meltdown. "We kissed."

It was like someone had pulled the pin on a grenade and they were just waiting for the explosion.

His body went rigid, his harsh breath the only movement. She cringed, peeking a glance at him from under her lashes. His hands curled into tight fists, trembling ever so slightly and she stepped forward, resting her small hands on his chest and looking up at him worriedly.

"Paul...it was only a kiss, please calm down." She pleaded with him with her eyes, her hands slipping up to rest on each side of his face, her neck craning to look up at him as she felt his pulse pounding beneath her fingertips.

His hands came down to rest on her hips as he stared down into her eyes, his brows furrowed in two thick black lines. "Do you like him?"

"What? No! I don't think so..." She pressed her lips gently against his chest as high as she could reach, reassuring him she was here. It had always helped to calm him down in the past, knowing she was there with him. "It was only a dare."

He hummed low in his throat, slowly wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and trapping her against him. She didn't notice, too focused on gently running her fingertips along the planes of his face as if she hadn't had every feature memorized already. "That tickles." Grinning that she had achieved her goal and he no longer looked as though he wanted Embry’s spine for a necktie, she relaxed in his arms.

"Well, too bad, deal with it." She leaned up on her tip toes, waiting for him to lean down so she could reach his face. With an eyeroll to hide the grin threatening to overpower his stern face, he slid his feet out on either side of her, leaning against the counter and sliding down until they were on the same level.

She smiled in thanks and leaned in, pressing her soft, minty lips against his in what she intended to be a chaste kiss like always.

If anyone had seen what happened and confronted them, he would have blamed the beer. Blamed the anger. Blamed the heat. She would have died blushing and stammered until someone took pity on her and stopped her.

The moment their lips touched, a jolt of warmth spread down Dani's spine, warming her as if there was a fire roaring at her side. Paul's hands held her hips gently but firmly, his fingertips pressing against the soft flesh of her ass and his thumbs brushing across her delicate hip bones. She slipped her hands up to his broad shoulders, feeling the thick muscle so velvety beneath her palms, then up to tangle in his long hair.

His tongue made a quick, encouraging swipe across her plump bottom lip and she gasped, tugging sharply at his hair and earning a gravelly groan from him. She felt a rush of heat shoot straight down her belly and her blush spread further, its path obscured from vision by her t-shirt. It didn’t deepen any further; Paul seemed content to tease her, their hands holding each other as closely as possible in the small kitchen. Dani was the one to pull away first, her lungs aching as she inhaled deeply then blushed as red as the tomatoes her mother had sitting in a basket on the counter.

Paul's eyes were dark and alive with emotions she couldn't name, especially after that kiss. She was lucky she could remember her own name after a kiss like that. Finally, after smoothing his hair back down and clearing her throat softly, she managed to whisper breathlessly, "We should go to bed."

He nodded, standing immediately and nearly knocking her down since her body had sagged against his sometime during the kiss. "I'll be back later." He seemed cold again, turning away from her as he ran an aggravated hand through her hair.

Turning back to the counter to hide her disappointment, she nodded and finally took the dose of ibuprofen she had laid out before Paul sidetracked her. "'Kay."

She cringed when the front door slammed shut, then she slowly trudged to her room, leaving the door cracked open just in case Paul returned.


	5. Chapter 5

He didn't come into her room that night, but when her alarm went off at 6:30 and she got dressed in a pair of ruffled, denim shorts and a pink camisole, he was waiting downstairs with his car keys in hand. They climbed wordlessly into his Camaro together and he drove her to the diner, her hand resting on his on the gear shift as she nibbled on her pop-tart. When he pulled up to the door, she leaned over and kissed his cheek gently before hopping out and dashing inside to where Leah stood tying her apron around her slim waist.

"Lee, you're never going to believe it!" Dani grabbed her friend's arm, tugging her behind the counter and into the storage closet to hide from Sue's stern eyes and work orders.

Leah laughed and crossed her arms over her chest, raising one eyebrow as she looked down at the much shorter girl who was wringing her hands in front of herself. "What? Paul finally caught crabs?"

"No, last night-" Dani paused to shake her head, rolling her eyes as she grimaced in disgust. " _No_ , Lee. No STDs at all."

"That you know of." Leah shrugged nonchalantly before peering out the small window of the door to make sure her mother wasn't around yet. "Tell me before mom has us working overtime; if I have to stay late tonight, I think I’ll keel over."

"Embry and I kissed last night," Dani rushed, then paused to take a deep breath as a warm flush spread over her cheeks and she whispered, "And so did Paul and I."

If she had had a camera, the look on Leah's face would have earned her millions. "What?!" Leah’s jaw hung open, her mouth opening and closing as if she were trying to form words that just wouldn’t come out.

"Shh!" Dani frowned as she leaned in and murmured quietly, "Embry and I kissed; it was a dare from Quil." She gave her friend a rushed summary of the previous night's events before Sue knocked on the closet door, her voice exasperated.

"Girls, I know you're in there and the breakfast rush is about to come in." There was a small pause before she added, "Dani, your friends are here, and they seem hungover."

Dani muffled a soft laugh beneath her hand before calling out, "Okay, Sue!" She smoothed her hair gently, wishing she had taken the time to brush it more thoroughly this morning, then blushed as she caught herself and shook her head. ‘ _It's only Em and Quil.’_

Leah nudged Dani as they both walked out, leaning down to whisper into her ear, "You're giving me the details later." Dani nodded, waving her away then hurried over to the table where Quil was slumped in a booth, his head laying on the table while Embry sat across from him rubbing his own temples, his eyes closed, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Yo, what do you two want?" She smiled, approaching the booth as Quil groaned into the tabletop and Embry looked up at her, smiling with squinted eyes as he tilted his head so that her slim body blocked out some of the bright lighting.

"Morning, Dani." He murmured, brushing his fingertips over her wrist that held the order pad against her belly.

She immediately felt her cheeks flush and ducked her head to hide it, pretending to test her pen as she doodled on the edge of her tablet. ‘ _It's only Em, what am I doing?’_ "Morning, Em. The usual?" Work, she just needed to focus on doing her job. Things would work themselves out if she just stayed calm.

"Yeah." He nudged Quil none too gently with a foot beneath the table and both he and Dani hid a laugh when Quil sat up, flopping back against the booth with an arm thrown over his eyes.

"Usual." Was the only grumbled response they got from him.

Dani wrote their usual orders on her pad, knowing them by heart already, and leaned down to whisper to Embry, "Can I come over after my shift or is your mom home?"

He nodded, his hand brushing against hers gently as he looked up at her with kind dark eyes. "She's working again, come over whenever."

She nodded and tucked her pen behind her ear as she turned and walked into the kitchen to submit their orders, ignoring the knowing glance she got from Leah.

oooooooooo

The rest of her shift passed by quickly, especially as Embry and Quil began to sober up in their little corner booth. She kept them supplied with lemonade and sandwiches, probably spending most of Quil's money from his shifts at the store that week, but none of them complained. When the diner was slow, she came out and sat with them, smiling and laughing as they all shared gossip and stories and plans for the summer.

Sue eventually kicked them out after Quil tried to build a house of cards out of salt packets and failed, sending them flying across the floor and nearly making Seth trip as he slid on them. Embry had stayed behind after Quil ran off to avoid Sue’s wrath, laughing as he helped Dani pick them up, then leaving after an awkward goodbye.

Leah was waiting for her during their late lunch break, dragging Dani and her chicken sandwich to a window booth and sitting beside her to cage her in so that she couldn’t escape. "Okay, kid, spill it. You went from never being kissed to kissing your two best friends in one night. That either takes talent or extreme luck."

Dani slowly picked at the lettuce peeking out from under her bun as she murmured, "Well, Quil had some of his grandpa's moonshine...and Paul was being a dick with Cody and Jeremiah, so we went down the beach a little and started playing truth or dare."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Was Embry a good kisser?" Leah's eyes sparkled as she nibbled at her salad, watching Dani as if she held the secrets to the earth. As far as she knew, Dani had never taken any interest in boys before, content to be in her strangely close friendship with Embry and whatever weird quasi-dating tango she and Paul had entered recently.

"It was nice, I guess...It wasn't bad, I just thought it would be more. You know? Like I thought there would be this jolt of passion or something amazing would happen and I'd be like 'wow, I'm being kissed.'" Dani shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich then whispering, "I saw him naked too."

Leah looked scandalized as she sat her fork down and whisper-shouted, "What? Did you two do anything?"

"Oh, no! No, ew." Dani shook her head and turned to look out the window at the soft, gray clouds overhead. She tried to pretend the idea repulsed her, but she knew her blush would give her away. After all, wasn’t it natural for a girl to be curious about boys? "We went skinny dipping after Quil left. Em told me I had nice boobs." She threw in the last part as an afterthought, remembering the awkward, bug-eyed blush he had sported after blurting it out to her.

"Shit, were you two naked when Paul showed up?" Leah knew, maybe more than Dani did, how protective and possessive Paul was of her. The guy had nearly been expelled several times because someone ran their mouth about Dani a bit too much and he found out about it.

Dani sent a silent thank you to whoever was up there controlling things because she knew Embry wouldn't have survived last night if Paul had found them naked together, innocent or not. "No, thank god. He carried me home, though; he was pissed."

"Right, so pissed he decided to kiss you?" Leah smirked and nudged Dani gently, making the younger girl laugh as she accepted the teasing.

"Not exactly. I don't know what happened, I was trying to calm him down and next thing I knew, our lips were on each other." Dani rubbed her eyes tiredly, whispering as though she were afraid to admit it, "I felt a spark, Lee."

"Dani, that's a fairytale ideal. A spark doesn't mean anything, it was probably just his breath." Leah stated matter-of-factly then sighed when Dani frowned at her, knowing Dani was being serious. "Look, you two kiss all the time. No sparkage. What makes this time any different?"

"I don't know!" Dani groaned and laid her forehead on the table, wrapping her arms around her midsection as she let the cool tabletop soothe the flush of her cheeks. "I wanna do it again but I'm afraid."

"Why are you afraid? Paul would never hurt you; you've said it yourself." Leah asked, her thin brows scrunched in confusion as she popped the last cherry tomato from her salad into her mouth and tossed the plastic container into the trash can behind them.

Dani sighed, picking at the chipped nude polish on her fingernails to avoid looking at her overly rational best friend. "What would our parents say? That’s practically incest, isn’t it?"

"They know you two are freakily close, plus you two technically aren't related so it’s not really wrong from that standpoint." Leah shrugged, leaning back in the seat and stretching to try to soothe her aching back. "I'm not saying you should hop into bed with him, Dani. I’m just saying that you two have been freaky close since you’ve been old enough to crawl. I'm far from being Paul Lahote's biggest fan, but out of all the losers you could date, at least I don’t think he would never hurt you."

Dani pondered it for a moment, mulling Leah's words over in her head before blushing and ducking her head self-consciously. "He would never want to date me though."

"And why not?" Leah sounded incredulous as she began rearranging the salt packets Dani had stuffed haphazardly back into the container on the table after Quil's hasty departure.

"He's banged half the female population from here to Seattle, what would he want with his virginal stepsister?" Dani shifted uncomfortably, crossing her arms as if to hide behind them as she tried not to compare herself to the other girls.

"Alright, let's consider your mindset logistically." ‘ _Oh, dear god_ ,’ Dani thought. _‘Dr. Clearwater is in the building.’_ "If he didn't want anything to do with your virginity-burdened self, why does he crawl into bed with you at all hours of the night, get pissed at you when you hang out with any guys that aren’t him, and kiss you all the time?"

"We've done that since we were kids, though." Dani sighed, laying her head on Leah's shoulder as she relaxed, convincing herself that it was just what siblings did. He was just protective. "Maybe he's just being brotherly."

"Brotherly." Leah snorted in disbelief as she stood up, stretching and glancing at the clock before looking down at Dani amused. "I have never kissed and cuddled Seth. If you believe that, clearly all the skank germs and beer breath Paul reeks of has crawled into your brain and damaged it."

Dani frowned as Leah walked away to clock back in, leaving her alone with her conflicting thoughts.

ooooooooo

Paul was waiting for her in the Camaro when she finished her shift. As she approached the passenger door, he reached over with one long arm and opened it for her, grinning at her when she plopped into the passenger seat tiredly. "Feel like going to the strip with me?"

The strip was nothing more than an old dirt road on the very edge of the reservation where teenagers went to drink and party and those who had cars drag raced. She had gone with him only once before and that was before he had inherited their father's car; all they had done was dance and drink as the older kids raced. "Sure. Why're we going there?" She stretched her legs out, kicking her shoes off and resting her bare feet on the dash as she watched the cloudy sky whiz by above them as Paul pulled out onto the street.

"I'm going to race." Paul said as though it were obvious, still grinning brightly even when Dani sat straight up in her seat and turned her alarmed green eyes on him.

"Paul, no." She pleaded, resting a hand on his arm that rested on the gear shift, feeling the muscles that shifted beneath the velvety skin. "What if you get hurt? And if you bet the car, dad will kill you."

He shook his head, turning down the long backroad that led to the main path of the strip. "Dani, I swear nothing is going to happen. Have a little faith in me."

"You can't possibly know nothing is going to happen, Paul." She whispered, already feeling the nerves twisting her stomach into uncomfortable little knots. He reached over and grabbed her hand tightly, his thumb rubbing along the back of her knuckles to relax her.

"That’s why I have you here. You'll be my good luck charm." He looked into her eyes as he pulled up to the already crowded road, the teens parting to let the car through once they recognized it. "I'll be fine, Dani."

She looked into his serious, nearly black eyes, biting her bottom lip as she leaned in and kissed him softly and innocently, resting her free hand on his cheek. "I'll be over there with Cody and Jeremiah, okay?"

"You're going to wait with them?" His eyebrows nearly flew into his hairline in shock and she laughed, shaking her head at his expression.

"That should tell you how worried I am. I know you, that's the first place you're going to go after the race because you have to brag to your pet losers." She pressed her lips against his again and this time Paul's arm slipped around her waist, pulling her closer and nearly dragging her across the center console as he deepened the kiss; his tongue brushed against her silky, soft lips before he bit down gently, his hand caressing the small of her back and holding her closer to him.

She jumped slightly in his arms, her eyes flying open in shock and a gasp escaping her lips as she felt the same jolt of passion that she had felt last night thrilling her. Her blunt nails dug into the cotton of his t-shirt, her hand slipping down from his cheek to rest on his chest to feel his steady heartbeat as he slowly pulled away with lust-darkened eyes. "You go wait with the guys. I’ll be back in a few minutes."

She nodded and turned to exit the car like a skittish deer, her heart racing so fast she was sure people could see it pounding uncontrollably beneath her skin. The Camaro rumbled to the starting line, a marker little more than a deep line dug into the soft dirt wide enough for two cars to sit side by side. She slowly made her way over to where Cody and Jeremiah sat in the grass, a six pack of beer sitting between them. Cody happened to glance up and see her approaching, giving her what could pass as a nod of respect before offering her a beer and scooting over to give her a spot to sit.

"Thanks." She gracefully folded herself into a sitting position and sipped the beer, her nose wrinkling at the taste but glad for the distraction. "Who is Paul racing?"

"Keith Cameron." Jeremiah supplied absentmindedly, using a black sharpie to doodle on the knee of his ripped jeans as Cody nodded, eyes locked onto the cars.

"Yeah, him and his little brother fixed up that piece of shit Honda Civic he bought." Cody glanced over at Dani, doing a doubletake before shaking his head. His eyes danced with laughter as he smirked at her. "Your lips are swollen."

She frowned, bringing her fingertips up to touch her puffy bottom lip gently. _‘Is it really?’_ At her look of confusion, Jeremiah made a kissy face then burst out in loud laughter as he and Cody high fived. "I told you she was letting him smash!"

Her mind flashed back to the kiss in the car, remembering the feeling of him biting down on her lip, just enough for her to feel it and want more. Evidently it was harder than she thought if it made her lip swell. "What do you mean?" She asked uncomfortably, her fingertips gathering the small drops of condensation from the outside of her beer can and brushing the dampness along the frayed hem of her shorts absentmindedly.

"Everybody knows you and Paul," Cody made a circle with one hand then inserted a finger into it vigorously. Her eyes widened and she shook her head immediately, trying to stammer out a denial. "Oh, c'mon! He's always got his hands all over you, you're telling me you two aren’t going at it like rabbits every time your parents are gone?"

"We aren’t." She said quietly, her voice wavering as she felt her face burning red. _‘Seems like everyone sees us that way, except Paul.’_

Jeremiah raised one thick, black eyebrow and gestured towards her bright crimson face, her fingertips still resting on her lip. "Sure, you aren’t."

Dani stood then and nearly stomped away from them, her eyes searching the crowd for a familiar face as she cursed herself for even trying to tolerate the boys. Finally, she saw Seth Clearwater perched on a low hanging tree branch, nibbling on a sandwich as his eyes roamed the crowd. "Hey." She mumbled, walking over and smiling when he offered her a hand to help her climb up beside him.

"Hey." When she settled on the branch beside him, he offered her a bite of his sandwich as he dusted the crumbs off his chest. "It's strawberry jelly, want a bite?"

"No thanks, Sethy." She laid her head on his shoulder, sighing as she watched the cars at the starting line rev their engines after the drivers decided on their bet. A pretty futile exercise, she thought, since the roar of the Camaro pretty much drowned out any sound the Civic could make. "I can't believe that dumbass is racing."

"Yeah, no one could believe it earlier when him and his friends started arguing about it." Seth shrugged, wrapping one arm around Dani's shoulders in a brotherly hug.

She frowned, looking up at him in confusion as she snuggled closer to the younger boy, playing with the braided leather band on his wrist. "What were they arguing about?"

"Well," He looked down at his lap as if he weren't sure if he should tell her or not. It usually came back to bite him on the ass when he over spoke. "They said some things..."

"Tell me, I promise I won't let him find out you said anything." She wiped a smudge of jelly off his chin and smiled encouragingly as she sat up further.

Finally, he caved in and sighed, looking away from her as his shoulders slumped. "One of his friends called him a pussy and told him he was too busy playing with his sister wife to have fun."

"So, it's my fault he’s down there." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, ready to blame herself for whatever outcome befell her stepbrother.

"No! Of course not, they just know that mentioning you is a sure way to set him off." Seth pointed out to the road as the cars speed off, the tires kicking up dust and dirt as they raced down the road amidst cheers and shrieks from the gathered teens. "That's not on you, Paul's just showing off. You know how he is."

"I guess." She sighed as she watched Paul's car, the grey primer color of the body blending into the forest as it blurred into the distance. "Think he'll win?"

"Yup." Seth said confidently, wiping his hands on his jeans to get rid of the crumbs and stickiness from the jelly.

 _‘Wish I had his confidence.’_ Dani kept her arms crossed over her chest as she waited anxiously for the cars to come back, engaging in Seth’s idle chatter just enough not to seem rude to the younger boy. Finally, the Camaro showed up with the Civic trailing behind, smoke pouring from beneath the hood of the car as Keith Cameron slammed his hands against the steering wheel angrily, his mouth flapping in what she was sure wasn’t a congratulations.

Seth shot her a look as if to say _told you so._ She nodded, rolling her eyes good naturedly before hopping out of the tree and worming her way through the crowd to where Paul was waiting by the car...with a girl already at his side fawning over him.


	6. Chapter 6

Dani ended up walking home with Seth, letting him drape his fuzzy grey hoodie over her thin camisole as she ambled along numbly, ranting to him as he gathered smooth, interesting stones from along the roadside to add to his collection.

"Vanessa Whitefeather." She grumbled with her arms crossed over her chest as she kicked a few loose pebbles out of her way as if they had caused her this pain instead of Paul. "Isn't she supposed to be in some fancy college in California?"

"It's summer break, Dani." Seth supplied helpfully, struggling to hold an overflowing handful of smooth, shiny rocks that she knew he would end up lining the bottom of his fish tank with.

Dani rolled her eyes, pointing absentmindedly to a small, grey-blue stone glimmering in the grass to distract the younger boy from correcting her. Seth dove after it eagerly as she waited for him, keeping an eye out for any cars that might venture down the lonely road. "She could go early. People do that sometimes."

"I don't think you can go to college three months early." Seth began tucking his finds into the pockets of his hoodie, making Dani giggle as the weight of the rocks made the pockets droop and bounce against her thighs.

"Seth, I'm not going to be able to walk!" He grinned at her and shrugged adorably, wrapping an arm around her shoulders once his hands were free.

"You did say you wanted to build muscle." He teased and she reached over to slap his chest, unable to stop the smile on her lips as she leaned against him. He grins victoriously, his chest puffing out as he realizes he's managed to distract her, patting her head gently as it rested against his ribs.

Seth followed her as the road turned off into the dark path leading to the Lahote cabin and it seemed like every step made Dani tense up further. The road ended too soon for her liking, and Dani could already see the shadows moving around in Paul's bedroom like a fire-lit shadow puppet show. "Seth, how much would you mind walking to Embry's with me?" It was dark and although she knew the woods on the reservation like the back of her hand, she still had no desire to go traipsing around in them at nighttime.

"Go get your stuff and I'll wait for you." He smiled at her cheerfully, ignoring the show going on through the thin sheet Paul had tacked over his window in lieu of curtains. Everyone knew what Paul’s preferred hobbies were and he was sorry Dani had to deal with it; besides, he wasn’t about to let the girl he considered another sister walk around alone in the dark.

She nodded and took a deep breath as she stepped up onto the porch, avoiding the creaky board her father hadn't found the time to fix yet, and inched her way inside. Paul's bedroom door was shut and for that she was thankful; she had caught enough glimpses of his extracurricular activities over the years to last several lifetimes.

In her bedroom, she grabbed the backpack she usually used for school and emptied the old notebooks out onto her bed before stuffing a change of clothes in and walking to the kitchen to retrieve a few bottles of soda and the giant bag of BBQ potato chips she knew Paul had been saving for a snack.

 _‘Oops. Not anymore.’_ She thought as she dropped them into the bag and slung it onto her back, rolling her eyes as she stepped out of the house and away from the high pitched wailing and steady thump of the sturdy oak headboard against the wall coming from her brother's room.

Seth frowned as he stared up at the sky, a crimson blush on his cheeks as he mumbled, "Is she like...okay?"

"Yup." Dani spoke curtly, stuffing her hands in her hoodie pockets and rolling the stones around in her hands as she hopped off the porch and walked towards the road once more.

"Are you sure? That's a lot of screaming. Leah and Sam never-" Seth glanced back at the house once more before he followed.

"Drop it!" She said loudly as she stomped down the trail towards the middle of the reservation where Embry's house sat.

Seth trailed along at her side, blushing and glancing behind them every so often as if he would be able to see Paul and Vanessa from halfway down the road. "Sorry." He mumbled sheepishly, his cheeks still faintly pink as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

Dani sighed quietly, realizing she was misplacing her anger and that Seth hadn’t meant to offend her. He was 14 and didn’t know any better; Paul didn’t have that excuse. "It's okay, Seth. I didn't mean to yell at you, it’s just been a long night."

He nodded, his head bowed a bit as he clasped his hands in front of himself as though he didn’t know what to do with them. "It's okay. I know it hurts when he's like that."

Dani stayed quiet, unsure what to say. Part of her wanted to deny it, tell Seth that Paul meant nothing to her either way, but she knew better than to believe she could pull off a lie like that. Seth stayed quiet as well, bumping her arm with his every once in a while, to remind her he was still there.

The front porch light was on at Embry's and his mother's car was gone, so when she and Seth reached the front door, she simply walked in. When Tiffany was home, she usually kept her distance from the house to let the older woman rest from her long shifts at the tribal medical center, but otherwise, the Call’s home was her second home.

"Embry!" She called out, pausing in the center of the living room with Seth trailing behind her like a guard puppy.

A moment passed and, just as she was about to call again, Embry poked his head out of the bathroom, hair wet and plastered to his chest. "Hey, Dani. Give me two minutes." He disappeared back into the bathroom and Dani smiled, shaking her head as she unzipped Seth's hoodie from her chest.

"Thanks, Sethy. Here's your rocks," She handed him the hoodie carefully lest any of the pretty stones fall from the pockets and be damaged. He accepted it just as carefully, the rocks clicking together in their cotton cocoon as he smiled and slipped it over his shoulders. The scent of Dani's perfume lingered at the collar and made him blush as he caught a whiff of flowers and rain. "Thanks, Dani. I'll tell Leah you said hi."

Dani nodded and leaned up on her tiptoes to hug him one more time, pressing a sweet kiss to his flushed cheek. If there was anyone on the reservation that she considered a sibling, it was Seth. She and Embry were best friends, and she was close to Leah as well, but Seth was her adorable little brother, even if they were only a few months apart in age and he was a foot taller.

Seth hugged her for a moment before letting go and patting her head teasingly, laughing as she swatted her hand at his to stop him. She watched him walk out of the living room, making sure the door shut behind him, then headed to the back of the house where Embry's room was. His door was half open, so she slipped through the crack and dove into the bed, tossing her bag to the floor as she flopped backwards against the comforter.

Embry walked in, towel drying his long hair and wearing a pair of red basketball shorts a moment later. "Heard Paul won a race at the strip." He said casually, tossing the damp towel at the foot of the mattress and clambering over Dani's body to lay between her and the wall, his long arm laying across her lower belly comfortably.

"Yup. Won himself a skank." She murmured tiredly, resting her head against his warm, damp shoulder. His fingertips slipped up to rub her shoulder blade, rubbing away some of the tension built up in her muscles.

As she relaxed against him, his hands still rubbing her back and kneading her muscles, he began to mumble. "Dani...About last night..."

She raised her head, blinking owlishly before nodding for him to continue. "Yeah?" Her voice held the first beginning signs of sleepiness and he knew he needed to act fast before she passed out on him.

"I just...really..." He faltered, then blushed crimson as the rest came out in one rushed syllable. "IreallylikeyouandwaswonderingifIcouldkissyouagain..."

A soft blush rose up on her cheeks and she opened her mouth to protest before an image of Paul in bed with Vanessa, and then the other random skanks over the past year, flashed through her memory. The protest died on her lips and she simply nodded, her hand curled in a fist on his chest and her leg pressed against his as she shifted so that he could lean down to reach her mouth.

Embry gulped softly, nearly inaudibly, before inching forward, his hair creating a curtain around her face as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She prepared herself, her mind racing with new possibilities. ‘ _This is it, I'll feel a spark. I know I will. I just need to relax and forget about Paul. I'll feel it.’_

When his lips touched hers, she could taste the mint remnants of his toothpaste and something sweet, nothing like the addicting, heavy spice Paul left her with. His hand clutched her hip, pulling her closer as she pressed her hand against his neck just above his pulse point, feeling his heart fluttering so rapidly she could barely feel the individual beats. His tongue brushed against her lips and she opened them automatically, slowly and carefully poking her tongue against his as she laid back, letting him hover halfway on top of her and warm her chilled body.

For as good as Embry was doing, at least based on her minimal experience, she felt no spark. The jolts of electricity that had shot through her when Paul kissed her were nonexistent now. It was like plain pound cake versus decadent, rich devil’s food cake.

She cracked one eye open and peered around the room, tangling one hand in Embry's hair to play with the wet, wavy locks as they fell around them. Her eyes explored the plain, beige wall behind his head and she began to trace imaginary designs connecting the small paint chips as the kiss dragged on.

Embry finally pulled away, blushing as a small strand of spit bridged the gap between their mouths. "Uhm...was that okay?"

Dani nodded slowly, the spit bridge breaking as she leaned up and pecked his lips softly. "It was nice, Em." He smiled, reassured, and raised up, smoothing his hair away from his face and grabbing a ponytail band from his dresser. Dani sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand then wiping her hand on her shorts before standing up and grabbing her bag from the floor. "I'm going to go change."

"'Kay." Embry murmured as he gathered his hair into a low ponytail with expert grace from years of practice. Holding his hair with one hand, he reached over to the floor and tossed her one of his big, faded band tees. She caught it easily and walked across the narrow hallway to the bathroom that Embry shared with his mother, swinging the door shut with a loud click in the otherwise silent room. ‘ _I can't believe I just made out with Embry Call.’_ She sighed as she glanced into the mirror, her reddened lips the only sign that she had been kissed at all. There was no breathlessness, no flushed cheeks, no dazed eyes. _‘Maybe I'm defective.’_

That thought resonated in her mind as she changed into Embry's big t-shirt that dwarfed her small frame. _‘I'm some sort of messed up girl who only gets turned on when her stepbrother kisses her.’_

When she walked back into the bedroom, Embry was sitting up in the bed and had two PlayStation controllers in his lap. "Lego Marvel Superheroes?" He smiled at her and she immediately relaxed knowing things could go on like they always had, at least for now.

"Sure." She crawled into the bed and pulled the blanket over her legs to ward off the chill before grabbing the controller from his hand and Paul's chips from her bag.

oooooooooo

The next morning, Dani woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking and without even opening her eyes, she sat up. Her stomach was rumbling, and she dreaded to think that she had probably overslept and lost her job, but the smell of eggs and bacon beckoned her to come closer and she figured why not.

Embry was nowhere to be found, so she quickly changed into her camo jeans and a cream-colored sweater, feeling the chill in the air from last night's rain showers. After running a hand through her messy hair to tame it a bit, she made her way into the kitchen where Tiffany was standing at the stove in a pair of lounge pants and a comfy looking hoodie, looking more her age of 31 rather than the overworked single mom she was.

Dani smiled softly as she stood in the doorway, feeling shy around her especially after she had spent the night cuddled up to her only son's chest. _‘That's never bothered you before.’_ Her mind whispered mockingly before she spoke up. "Morning, Tiffany. Want some help?"

Tiffany shook her head immediately, turning to plate the crisp, freshly fried bacon as she gave Dani a tight-lipped, reassuring smile. "No, no, no!" Dani frowned but nodded, accepting the fact that she was a lousy cook, and everyone knew it. Tiffany must have seen the defeat in Dani's green eyes because she smiled comfortingly. "How about you go out back and get Embry? He's been sitting outside grinning for almost an hour."

Immediately, Dani bowed her head, her cheeks glowing pink as she mumbled, "Sure thing, Tiffany." She hurried out the back door before her blush gave her away, positive that she knew why Embry was suddenly so cheerful. As she stepped out onto the cinder blocks that formed makeshift steps leading up to the screen back door, a warm hand wrapped around her ankle and tugged her down to sit on the bottom step. She smiled when she saw Embry's blushing, smiling face looking down at her. "Morning, Em."

"Morning, Dani." He kissed her forehead softly then looked up at the clear blue sky, his hand rubbing up from Dani's ankle along her smooth, toned legs to the cuffed denim at her knee and back down again, warming her skin through the chilly morning air. "You have to work today?"

"I did, but I overslept. Should've been there two hours ago." Dani sighed, laying her head on Embry's shoulder and nuzzling into his silky hair. "I'll go in after breakfast and see if I'm fired."

"She won't fire you; you and Leah are the only two waitresses she has." Embry reassured her, wrapping one long arm around her shoulders and holding her close. "I'll walk with you if you want."

"Thanks." She smiled and leaned up, pecking Embry's lips softly then standing up quickly. _‘Maybe if I keep kissing him, I'll feel something.’_ "Come on, your mom made bacon and eggs."

He jumped up and followed her inside, not noticing as Tiffany glanced at them with a knowing smile from the stove.

ooooooooo

After a quick breakfast, Dani thanked Tiffany and helped her clean up while Embry went to change out of his sleep clothes. Tiffany glanced at Dani and pursed her lips slightly, humming softly before saying, "How long have you and Embry been sneaking around?"

Dani nearly dropped the plate she had been toweling dry, her eyes wide and her mouth agape as if to stutter an excuse yet no sound would come out. Tiffany continued washing the breakfast dishes until finally the younger girl managed to squeak, "What?"

"I saw you kiss my son, Dani." Tiffany said quietly, reaching up to put the dishes away in the overhead cupboard. "How long has that been going on?"

Dani sighed, looking down at a piece of the countertop that had a burn mark on it, probably from long before the Calls had even moved here. "Just a couple days. We aren't dating." She felt the need to clarify that. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Tiffany nodded and wrapped her arms around Dani, gathering her in a comforting, sisterly hug that the young girl melted into easily. "Don't overthink, Dani. You're a teenager, you're allowed to not know everything."

"I know, but I don't want to mess up." Dani mumbled, tucking her face against the side of Tiffany's neck where her hoodie made a soft pillow.

"Everyone makes mistakes, that's how people learn." Tiffany rubbed her back gently, then looked down at her and lifted the girl’s head softly. "Now come on, you need to get to work before Sue comes and drags you all the way to the diner."

Dani nodded and smiled as she pulled away, whispering a soft thank you as she saw Embry standing in the doorway with her bag hanging from his hand. "Ready to go?" He asked, frowning softly in confusion as he glanced between his mother and his best friend.

"Yup, c'mon." Dani smiled reassuringly at him before walking towards the door with him trailing behind her.

ooooooooo

The walk from the Call house to the diner was slightly awkward. Embry wanted to ask why she had been hugging his mother like her life depended on it, and Dani wanted to avoid any talk of last night or this morning. Luckily, he didn't pry and only held her hand, his long, slim fingers laced together with hers and swinging idly between their bodies.

When they reached the diner, Dani frowned seeing Seth taking orders and Leah nowhere to be seen. "Hey, Seth." She said hesitantly, approaching the younger boy as he headed back to the counter.

He looked up and gave Dani a small half smile as he nodded to Embry in greeting. "Hey, Dani. Didn't you get mom's message?"

"What message? Is everything alright?" Dani frowned immediately, worried that something had happened with Leah or the baby, or even Sue.

"Sam and Leah broke up last night." Seth scoffed, shaking his head as he walked behind the counter to get his customers their coffees and continue the conversation. Dani and Embry trailed behind, awaiting the full story. "Our cousin Emily was attacked by a bear down by First Beach. When we got to the hospital, Sam was there with her."

Dani's eyes widened as she lifted her hand up to her mouth, unsure what to say. Sam had always been the quiet, respectful type; his mother had made sure he knew how to respect people, especially women, after the way his father had treated them. "He was...they were..."

"Sleeping around behind Leah's back." Seth confirmed bitterly, grabbing the tray of drinks with trembling hands. "Mom wants you to come over, Leah won't leave her room."

"Say no more." She hugged him quickly, then turned and hurried out the door with a rushed farewell to Embry as she nearly ran down the road to the Clearwater house.

When she arrived, she let herself in and found Sue sitting at the kitchen table with Harry, both looking tired and worn. "She's upstairs." Harry said quietly, running a hand through his shaggy, grey hair as he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes.

Dani nodded wordlessly and scurried upstairs to the last room on the right where she could hear faint sobbing through the thin, pine door. "Leah?" She called softly, knocking to warn her and then trying the doorknob. It opened and she stepped in slowly, the light from the hallway shining into the dark room onto the figure curled up in a ball on the bed, her face hidden in the blue cotton of her pillowcase.

Dani sighed softly and shut the door, reaching over to turn the desk lamp on before crawling into the bed behind Leah, wrapping her arm around her waist and holding her close. Leah's voice was hoarse as she mumbled into the pillow, "He left me."

"I know, Lee." She ran her fingers gently through Leah's hair, smoothing the tangles and frizz out of her usually silky locks. "Seth told me."

Leah rolled over, peering at Dani over the pillow with dark, watery eyes. "We were going to get married." Her voice was stronger this time, though it waivered on the last word.

Dani nodded and her hand slipped down to where Leah's lay on the rumpled grey comforter. She laced their fingers together and murmured, "I know." She ran her thumb along the smooth skin of Leah's palm, knowing that there was nothing she could do to help her friend. If she tried to distract her, the pain would build up and turn her bitter. If she offered to go beat Sam up to the best of her ability, Charlie Swan would be coming to the Lahote house for the younger sibling this time. If she tried to push her to talk, Leah would push her away and shut down.

They laid there for who knows how long, Dani's hand holding Leah's and Leah's eyes staring off at the wall, clearly in another place in her mind as tears streamed down her cheeks like a river of diamonds. Dani watched her sadly, hoping to find any hint of the Leah she knew beneath the broken exterior. If there was even a sliver of her in there, she could handle that. She could use that.

"Lee? Let's go for a walk." Dani suggested softly, having realized that the bedroom was probably full of memories of Sam. Even she could make a connection to Sam with every item her eyes landed on, from one of his hoodies draped over the desk chair to the pen set he had gotten her for Christmas scattered across the nightstand atop Leah’s sketchbook.

Leah shrugged noncommittally but her mournful eyes moved up to meet Dani's again. "I don't wanna see them together."

Of course, Sam's house was just off the beach. No doubt they would see him if they went there.

"How about my house? We could watch movies, order pizza, whatever you want." Dani could hear the desperation beginning to set in in her own voice. She had never seen Leah this sad and she wanted her to be happy again, but she didn't know how to do it herself.

"'Kay." Leah mumbled, groaning as she sat up laboriously, Sam's giant white t-shirt dwarfing her lean frame and making her look more like a child wearing her father's clothes than a seventeen-year-old girl.

Dani handed her a pair of yoga pants and a hoodie from the closet before turning to give her privacy to change, although she knew Leah probably wouldn't care either way. She listened to the rustling of fabric, her eyes roaming Leah's dresser as she smiled softly. There were notebooks stacked up against the wall, probably filled with sketches and designs, beside a cup stuffed with drawing pens and charcoal pencils. Pinned to the wall was a giant collage of posters and photos; beside the light switch was a photo Sue had taken at the beach last summer. Leah was standing with her head on Sam's broad chest, both grinning into the camera. In the background, Paul was holding Dani on his hip like a baby, smirking down at her as his other hand shoved Embry and Quil away. Dani could remember that after Sue had taken the photo, Paul tossed her into the waves and the two boys had tackled him as well.

 _'I don't think we'll be able to go back to that.'_ Dani thought sadly, sighing as she forced the thought of childish happiness from her mind. With Paul's newfound hobbies, Leah's broken heart, and whatever she had going on with Embry, it seemed like those summers were a million years ago now.


	7. Chapter 7

When Dani opened the front door of the house, she saw the purse sitting on the countertop and realized that Paul's house guest was still there. ‘ _They usually don't stay past dawn’._ She sighed softly before stepping into the kitchen so that Leah could set their pizzas down on the kitchen table. "Hey, Lee?"

"Yeah?" Leah had sunk down into one of the chairs and now held her head in her hand, her other hand on her flat stomach. Dani frowned, unable to even imagine what Leah was going through as she stepped up to the older girl and smoothed her long, tussled hair gently.

"I love you." Dani wrapped her arms around the older girl from the side, her heart breaking even more as Leah fell against her as if the effort to sit up had escaped her all at once.

"I love you too, Dani." Leah sniffled against Dani’s neck before looking over Dani's shoulder and stiffening, her face turning into a hostile scowl. "Paul's pet seems to have made herself at home."

Dani spun around to face Vanessa, standing in front of Leah as if to protect her from the she-demon. Vanessa stood in the doorway staring down her nose at the two younger girls, her arms crossed over the pink floral neckline of her sundress. _‘Wait a second...’_

"Where did you get that dress?" Dani could feel her face burning as she realizes that somehow the woman had put on her favorite sundress, as if knowing it would get under her skin in ways that simply existing wouldn’t accomplish. She knew it was her dress, she could see the small black ink spot on the hem from one of Leah's projects, and she wanted the girl out of it.

"The laundry basket." Vanessa stepped into the kitchen and raised one eyebrow at the pizza boxes on the counter, reaching for one of them. "Oh, cool, dinner."

"Our dinner." Leah spat, still staring daggers at the girl about to open the sausage and bacon pizza.

"Well, I'm a guest so…" She gave a haughty shrug before frowning in mock concern. "Besides, you two ought to lay off the calories. Leah, a healthy diet is an important part of being pregnant."

Leah's eyes widened and Dani gasped before bellowing as loud as she could. "PAUL!"

Footsteps thundered down the hallway and a half-asleep Paul emerged, his hair in a tangled mess and a sheet wrapped around his waist as he surveyed the scene worriedly. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Dani simply glared at him, not bothering to answer his clueless questions before pointing to Vanessa who was nibbling on a slice of pizza with a smirk on her lips. "Your pet needs to be housebroken."

"What?" Paul frowned, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he leaned against the door frame to get his bearings.

"Your slut is being a bitch." Leah practically snarled, her hands trembling slightly as she gripped the back of the chair so tightly her knuckles were stark white against her caramel skin.

"Who are you calling a slut? I'm not the one that got knocked up." Vanessa smirked, clearly feeling brave with Paul there to back her up.

Dani glared at her, her hand reaching out and slapping Vanessa across the face before she realized she had done it. The kitchen fell silent a moment before Vanessa shrieked in indignity and lunged forward, grabbing Dani's short hair and slapping at her with her free hand as they tumbled to the floor. Paul and Leah watched in shock as Dani overpowered the larger girl, running on pure rage at that point as she pinned Vanessa to the ground with her legs and punched her in the nose. The bone crunched satisfyingly under her fist and she grinned, rearing her arm back to do it again before feeling warm, muscular arms around her waist pulling her away.

"Let me go, Paul!" Dani yelled, kicking halfheartedly as she came back to reality, realizing her actions would probably have consequences. "Just let me go."

Paul frowned hearing the sadness in her voice, slowly removing his arms once he was sure she wouldn’t attack again; he glanced at Leah, ignoring Vanessa clutching her nose on the grey linoleum floor, only to see her shake her head in disbelief. "Dani...I'm sorry..."

"Don't try that card, Paul. If you were sorry, you'd stop bringing your whores home so I can walk in on you fucking them, and them wearing my clothes." Dani shook her head, turning towards the door as she wiped her bloody knuckles on her jeans and hissed as the denim scraped the torn skin. "Just leave me alone."

He sighed softly, knowing he had just royally fucked up by letting Vanessa stay. He hadn't meant to, but they had fallen asleep and he had assumed she would leave in the morning like they usually did. As Dani walked out of the house letting the screen door rattle shut with a resounding bang behind her, Paul turned and glared at Vanessa. "Get out. Leave the dress."

"What?!" She shrieked, the sound muffled by her hand covering her nose to stifle the blood. "That psycho just broke my nose!" Her brown eyes welled up with tears and she let her lower lip quiver as she looked up at him, sure he would come to her rescue.

He stared back emotionlessly, crossing his arms over his chest. The sheet dipped lower on his hips without him holding it and she was torn between admiring that well-defined v-line or throwing a fit. "Get out and lose my number."

Vanessa shrieked once more as she stood and stomped her foot, glaring at the younger boy. "You are such an asshole, Paul!"

"And you're a bitch." He replied conversationally as he walked back to his room and gathered the remains of her clothes and her purse, tossing them at her as she stood with her mouth agape. "Take my sister's dress off."

Vanessa nearly growled as she removed the thin cotton, using it to wipe the blood from her nose before yanking on her own torn shirt over her panties and stalking angrily out the door. Paul grabbed the blood stained dress and sighed, biting his lip as he walked towards the laundry room to find the stain remover, hoping it would work.

Leah sat back down at the table tiredly, calling out to Paul, "You just lost Dani." Her tone was casual, with just a hint of an edge. She knew what he was capable of when he was angry and antagonizing him would do nothing.

"I didn't do anything." He replied coldly, lathering the remover into the bloodstained fabric then tossing it in the washing machine. He glared at Leah from the doorway as a slight tremor ran down his spine. "I didn't make Vanessa stay, I figured she was gonna leave. It wasn't my fault." He said it boldly, trying to convince himself that the look of sad defeat on Dani's usually cheerful face was only an illusion. She would forgive him like she always did.

Leah scoffed, nibbling on a slice of pizza as she looks up at the younger boy, her stomach rumbling traitorously as she realized how long it had been since she had had dinner last night. "You're truly an asshole, you know that? That girl loves you more than anything and you keep throwing it in her face. Every time your dick goes in another girl, it breaks her down a little more. She doesn't show it, but she definitely feels it."

"She knows I love her." He said quietly as he turned the washing machine on, bracing his hands against it as he avoided turning to face Leah, not wanting to see the truth in her eyes. His hands were still trembling.

"That's why you're an asshole." Leah finished her pizza and stood up, dusting her hands off on her pants before she grabbed the dish towel from the sink and dug around in the freezer for some scraps of ice. “If you don’t stop, she’s going to find someone who shows her their love instead of fucking every girl in three counties.” She tossed over her shoulder as she walked out, letting the screen door slam shut behind her as she left Paul in the empty house alone.

oooooooooo

Dani could feel the fine, misting rain clinging to her clothing as she walked along the beach, holding her shoes in one hand and letting the damp sand squish around her toes. Her mind was filled with thoughts, whirring so quickly through her brain that none of them registered aside from the heavy weight of guilt.

She looked out at the stormy grey water crashing against the jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliffs, a small half smile on her lips as she pushed her emotions away for the time being, content to watch the water move recklessly against the shore. Leah's voice interrupted her calm reverie moments later, making her jump slightly. "Nice swing. Here," Leah handed her a faded dish cloth that held a few cubes of ice, gesturing to her hand.

Dani took the offering wordlessly, holding the makeshift ice pack against the swollen, bruised knuckles of her left hand. A beat of silent passed before she raised her troubled eyes to Leah's sympathetic ones, muttering, "Is Vanessa okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Pissed, but she deserved it." Leah wrapped one arm around Dani's shoulders, knowing the younger girl was beating herself up mentally. As tough as Dani could act, she hated violence. Especially if she didn’t think it was deserved.

Dani scoffed as she laid her head on Leah's shoulder and crossed her arms. "No one deserves to get the shit beaten out of them, Lee."

"You know that bitch deserved every punch, you just wish you didn't have to deal with the fact that you did it." Leah's words made Dani cringe, knowing she was right. "You shouldn't feel guilty, Dani. She might be able to finally talk her parents into that nose job she's wanted forever."

"Still..." She could feel an uncertain smile growing on her lips as she picked up a handful of sand and let it sift through her fingers.

Leah shook her head, nudging her gently as she said softly, "Danielle, listen to me." She paused, smiling as Dani's eyes snapped to hers at the use of her full name. "You had a right to be upset and even if you don't think so now, you had a right to hit her. You know she wouldn't hesitate to punch you in the face if she thought Paul and I would let it happen. You protected yourself, that's not bad."

Dani stayed quiet for a moment before letting the air in her lungs whoosh out in a heavy sigh as she looked up at the cloudy, overcast sky. "That wasn't me. I could see myself hitting her, but I couldn't stop."

Leah nodded, rubbing Dani's back gently as she looked out at the water that had calmed significantly since they sat down. The rolling waves had mellowed out into a few soft ripples lapping at the sandy shore. "You lost control."

Dani nodded, squeezing her eyes shut as her lips twisted into a scowl. "I hate it when I lose it like that...and it's always over Paul. I wish he'd either push me away completely or stop these stupid mind games and let me love him."

Leah sighed softly as she twirled a lock of Dani's wavy hair around her fingertip thoughtfully. "I think you're too invested in him. You hang onto this idea that someday he's going to become your dream guy when in reality, he's a man whoring drunk."

"But-" Dani began to protest, raising her head to look up at Leah as she fought to think of a retort that actually made sense.

Leah shook her head, continuing as if the interruption hadn't happened. "I thought Sam was it for me. We were going to get married, have babies, I was gonna take art classes. I had it all planned out." A humorless chuckle escaped her parted lips as she roughly wiped the back of her hand across her eyes to hide the tears clinging to her lashes. "Now I'm stuck here, pregnant, having to watch my fiancée treat my cousin like she's the center of his entire world."

"Lee..." Dani murmured softly, wrapping her arms around Leah in a comforting hug.

Leah returned the hug, mumbling quietly against Dani's hair. "I don't want you to get hurt like this, Dani. I don't want you to count on Paul and him never come through."

Dani bit her lip softly as she stroked Leah's tangled, slightly oily hair, not saying a word. _‘He'll come through, Leah. I know he will.’_

oooooooooo

They returned to the cabin a few hours later and Dani bid Leah farewell at the door, giving her one last hug and whispering, "Call me if you need anything."

Leah nodded, managing a small, dejected smile as she turned to step off the porch. "Will do. Remember what I told you."

"Okay." Dani bit her lip gently as she watched Leah slip between her mother's Mazda and her father's work truck. _‘They're both home; maybe mom will make another cake.’_

She turned to walk inside, her arms wrapped around herself as she walked into the kitchen, frowning as she didn’t see her mother in there cooking. She moved slowly around the kitchen table and peered into the living room, seeing her father holding her mother in his lap, whispering into her ear as Paul sat on the old, broken down couch across from the recliner. He was trembling, his brows furrowed as if he couldn't comprehend what was happening.

She frowned as she stepped closer, unsure of what she was walking into, only to step on the creaky board she normally knew to avoid by the doorway. All three heads swiveled in her direction and she waved awkwardly at her parents, feeling like an intruder on the conversation. "Uh...hey."

"Dani, baby, come sit." Amanda said softly, her voice wavering as she gestured to the couch. "We need to tell you something."

"Okay..." Slowly Dani stepped over to the couch and perched on the end seat, her hands clasped neatly in her lap as Paul automatically reached for her. His arm surrounded her like a cocoon, and she sighed under her breath, feeling the remnants of her anger dissipate as she realized whatever this discussion was, it was more important than her petty jealousy.

"I went to the doctor this morning." Amanda began, her hand holding Daniel's like a lifeline as she kept her head down.

Dani nodded, her thin brows furrowing slightly as she took a moment to examine her father's apprehensive face. "Yeah...are you okay?"

"I...have to have a few scans done." She admitted, the small charm bracelet on her wrist jingling slightly, sounding out of place in the somber room as she played nervously with Daniel’s fingers. "It's not serious, but I'm going to have to stay in Port Angeles for a few days until the results come back."

Dani frowned as she reached over, grabbing her mother's other hand and feeling the appreciative squeeze as her mother looked at her sadly. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"My headaches are coming more often and...the doctor told me it could be a tumor." She murmured softly, her thumb rubbing across the back of Dani's hand soothingly. "It's just a few scans, I'll be as good as new soon. Promise." She gave her daughter a soft, reassuring smile before looking over at Paul to check on him.

His hands were still shaking, holding tight to the cushions on either side of him as he watched them, still looking as if he didn't believe what was being said. Dani gently and reluctantly pulled away from her mother, amazing both of her parents as she crawled into Paul's lap and placed a hand on each of his cheeks. "Paul...mom's gonna be okay." She murmured, almost too low for them to hear.

He looked into her eyes, his hands slowly moving to rest on the gentle curve of her hips, the tremors subsiding ever so slightly. They whispered back and forth for a few long moments, leaving Daniel to worm his way out of the chair and walk into the kitchen to call Billy Black.

He knew the Chief didn't necessarily have any extra love for Paul, and despite Dani's fierce dislike of Jacob, he knew he had to call him. If only to ask a favor, to protect his family.

Billy answered gruffly on the third ring. "Hello."

"Hey..." He glanced over his shoulder and sighed sadly as he realized Dani is still comforting Paul. "It's Daniel. I need a favor..."

ooooooooo

Dani stayed in Paul's lap long after he had calmed down, stroking his silky, shaggy hair and pressing light kisses against his cheeks. His hands held her hips firmly, holding her against his chest as if afraid she’d pull away too soon. Leah's words were a constant reminder in the back of her mind, yet in that moment all she wanted to do was comfort him.

"Let's go for a walk." She murmured quietly, looking into his eyes until he nodded. She started to clamber out of his lap only to gasp when he stood up suddenly, easily holding her as her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively. He carried her to the front door, one hand supporting her by splaying across the small of her back as his other hand opened the door.

The cool evening air immediately made Dani tuck her face against Paul's warm neck, her fingers tangled in his hair. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Cave." He mumbled, turning to walk deeper into the woods towards their own personal hiding spot.

They had discovered the cave when Paul was 7 and Dani was 6; she had used it as a hiding spot during a particularly competitive game of hide and seek. It wasn't a deep cave, perhaps 10 feet from entrance to the stone wall in the back. They kept a few blankets and a lantern there, as well as a few books and odds and ends that had been left there during their visits over the years.

Paul found the entrance easily, stopping just inside the enclosure and setting Dani down carefully. She smiled and kissed his cheek gently before walking further in, turning the camping lantern on the dim setting and plopping down on the thin, green blanket spread out on the dirt floor. "Come cuddle, kiss. Keep me warm."

His lips turned up in a small grin as he lowered himself to the ground beside her, wrapping his arms around her and leaning down, pressing his lips gently against hers. She was prepared for the spark this time, running her fingers gently through his hair as she let her eyes slip closed.

 _‘He's coming around, Lee. He won't hurt me.’_ She thought to herself as his tongue brushed against her bottom lip almost shyly, her lips parting ever so slightly to let him in. _‘He won't leave me.’_


	8. Chapter 8

That night as they laid in the cool cave, his warm, muscular arm wrapped around her slim waist protectively, she stared out at the startlingly clear sky and let her thoughts run wild.

She was still angry over Vanessa. She still felt horrible for letting the older girl be the one to get under her skin, letting her push her to the point of violence. However, the possibility of her mother being sick made it impossible to hold it against him at the moment. She had seen the lost look in Paul's onyx eyes as she comforted him on the couch and hadn't thought twice about climbing into his lap, even with their parents there. He was her Paul, he needed her just as much as she needed him right now.

She squirmed closer to his warm body, using his bicep as a pillow as she let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes, only to feel a pair of soft lips moving against her neck as Paul's voice rumbled behind her. "You okay?"

She took a moment to fully consider the question before whispering, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking."

"You think too much." His fingertips gently ghosted along the sliver of exposed skin between her jeans and shirt, making a pleasant warmth take root in her lower belly.

"If I don't think, I'll lose my mind." She stated matter-of-factly, glancing over her shoulder at his face and smiling when she sees his sleep clouded eyes. She tried to stamp down the urge to kiss those full, pouty lips as she reached back to pat his hip reassuringly. "Go to sleep, I'm fine."

"You're still upset." It wasn't a question, so she didn't bother trying to deny it. Somehow, he always knew. "I'm sorry, you know. About everything."

"I know. Let's not talk about it right now." She rolled over to face him, hooking her leg over his hip and snuggling up to him like he was a giant teddy bear. "Just hold me."

He obeyed, wrapping his strong, warm arms around her petite body and letting her tuck her head against his chest, gently rubbing her back to soothe her, feeling the tension slowly leaving her shoulders. After a while, her breathing evened out into small, shallow breaths puffing against his chest and he looked down at her, careful not to disturb her as his eyes took in her features. Light caramel colored skin with wavy, ink-black hair cut in a loose bob just beneath her chin. Thinly plucked eyebrows over thick lashes and emerald green eyes that held slivers of gold when looked at closely. A small upturned nose and plump, rosy colored lips that were always glistening with mint lip balm. His fingertips brushed against her slender neck, trailing down to her collarbone then falling away as he felt the knit material of her shirt hiding the rest of her skin from his explorations.

She never failed to amaze him, and it was always simultaneously wonderful and terrible to have her as his stepsister. Wonderful because she was his, in a way. He had made sure everyone knew that. This tiny slip of a girl was the only thing that kept him calm most days, but he never stopped wondering what it could be like if he could be with her. If he could hold her like he wanted to, touch her and make her moan his name, hold her so tightly and so closely you could hardly tell when her body ended and his began without the fear of what could happen as a result.

But he wasn't good enough for her, and he knew it. Girls like Vanessa, easy and just looking for a night or two, those were more his speed. Dani deserved a commitment, someone who could love her endlessly just as she did. He couldn't let himself do that. He was angry and cold, Dani was happy. She had been born into a dysfunctional family, but she came out relatively unscathed. She didn't have to wonder why her biological father left because Daniel had filled that void for her from the moment she was born. Amanda tried to step into the mother role for Paul but he had always been hesitant to accept it, knowing in the back of his mind that she wouldn't leave him but also remembering the photos he had snuck out of his father's closet. His birth mother had been just as happy as Amanda, and she had left them. For a few brief months, he was left motherless. An unwanted memory in Maria Lahote's past. It was too risky to place his trust in someone so fully; it made you dependent on others and he had no desire to depend on anyone besides himself.

He wanted to be able to love with his whole heart like Dani did, but he knew it would be a struggle. It was easier to put on a tough front and shun everyone, then seek his tiny piece of solace late at night when he crept into bed with his stepsister.

Dani stirred in his arms, her nose twitching slightly as her warm breath puffed against his chest, and he smiled, letting his eyes slip closed as he finally let himself sleep, holding Dani protectively against him in case anything happened upon the cave while they slumbered.

oooooooooo

The next morning, Amanda was sitting on the front porch, bent over a small tray perched on her lap and weaving together thin strands of multicolored material to make a bracelet strap. She saw her children's feet out of the corner of her eye, Paul's worn out work boots and Dani's scuffed black slip-ons, and she glanced up at them, smiling softly. "Morning, you two. Dani, wanna help with this?"

Dani smiled and nodded as she plopped onto the step beside her mother and patted the floor to invite Paul to sit with them. He sat down gingerly on the step in front of them, stretching his long legs out in the dirt in front of him and leaning back between Dani's thighs, using her stomach as a pillow as the wood creaked beneath his weight.

She giggled softly and ran her fingers through his hair, letting her nails massage his scalp before taking the delicate woven band from her mother and beginning to work a jewel charm into the weave. Paul watched her fingers move gracefully as he wrapped one heated hand around her slim ankle, running his fingertips up and down the smooth skin there.

Amanda smiled as she watched them interact, so in tune with each other, so happy just to be together in the sunshine. The pain was ringing behind her eyes and she was having a bit of trouble focusing on the sight in front of her, but it made her happy to see it, nonetheless. It meant that her children would be okay together after she was gone.

She hadn't told them the full extent of her illness. She had only managed to tell Daniel some of it before she cut herself off, not wanting to spend the last few months of her life being looked at as an invalid. She wanted her family to be as close and as normal as usual. If the doctors were right, she only had three, maybe four months left. The tumor was growing and there was no telling how it would affect her towards the end. She was going to take little moments like these and cherish them, because she knew her little family would soon fall apart.

They sat in contented silence, Paul stroking Dani's ankle as Dani and Amanda wove colorful jewelry, the warm summer morning light glinting on them through the trees. When they ran out of bracelet materials, they sat the tray aside and relaxed, Dani laying her head on Amanda's shoulder and combing her fingers through Paul's long hair as he nuzzled against her belly.

"You said Paul was going to take you up to the strip to drive soon?" Amanda murmured, her arm around Dani's shoulders and her other hand resting on Paul’s broad shoulder, reminding him silently that she was still here.

Dani nodded and smiled, nudging Paul with her leg as he snickered, remembering the last time she tried to drive his Camaro and ended up veering into a ditch instead. "Yup, as soon as Paul gets his head out of his ass."

He rolled his eyes, an easy grin on his lips as he looked up at her, his head resting between her thighs. "Whatever, you're just pissy because my car is awesome and yours is nonexistent."

"It will soon." Dani poked her tongue out at him. "I have almost four grand saved up from the diner."

Amanda smiled, sitting back and listening to them bicker as she played with the jade pendant that always hung between her breasts. Her eyes flittered between her two kids slowly as she relaxed against the worn wood of the porch steps, briefly stopping to thank whatever god had led her to this house in that heatwave all those years ago.

The differences between the two kids were obvious and, although she was long past the memory of her one-time boyfriend, the green-eyed UDub student who had given her a taste of her dream life before tossing her aside, she knew that one day those differences were going to hurt somehow. She only hoped Paul would be there to help Dani when it happened, instead of running off.

oooooooooo

Over the next few weeks, Paul stayed on his best behavior around Dani. His conquests were kept strictly while she was at work and often happened away from their house to avoid any mishaps like the Vanessa incident He crept into her room nightly to hold her, knowing she was stressed and needed to sleep well. Amanda went to Seattle for her tests and Daniel drove up every day to see her, only sleeping a few hours late at night before getting on the road again to be there in time for visiting hours to open.

Embry came over on the days when Paul would be out of the house, either helping out with the Cameron's construction service or hanging out with his friends. It was an unspoken routine; Embry would show up, they'd put a movie in, then spend the entire time making out instead of actually watching the film. Despite all her efforts to relax and give it a chance, the first time his hand brushed against the underside of her boob, she nearly decked him. She was mortified; he merely laughed it off awkwardly and turned his blushing face to the TV instead. He said it was fine, but she knew he had to be frustrated. Anytime he tried to initiate any sort of conversation about their relationship status, she'd kiss him just to avoid it, which only served to confuse her more. She had counted and recounted the swirl patterns on the ceiling of both of their bedrooms countless times to keep from pushing him away while they were kissing.

It wasn't right. Embry was the kindest boy she had ever met, and he loved her. She knew he did, he had been her best friend since the second grade when they had ganged up against a bully who made fun of their father's identities. She didn't know when the lines got blurred and he started seeing her as Danielle the girl, not Dani the best friend, but it startled her. She had spent so long attached to Paul, her focus on his love and nothing else, she didn't know how to deal with someone else's attention. It made her feel defective. The only boy who could kiss her properly and make her feel the butterflies and tingles she associated with passion was her stepbrother.

She tried to explain all of this to Leah one late Friday evening, laying with her legs stretched up the wall and her arms crossed over her belly as she watched, upside down, at Leah who was reading one of the baby books she had snuck up to her room. At three months pregnant, her slim frame had only the beginnings of a bump that was only visible if you knew it was there and she had yet to tell anyone.

"Maybe you need to get away from the rez. Let Embry have a fair shot, away from Paul and away from the memories." Leah said softly, not looking up from her book. _'Guide to the First Trimester'_ the cover said in dull, black print above a diagram displaying a woman's stomach, complete with fetus and labels.

"But..." Dani bit her bottom lip gently as she rolled onto her belly, reaching for one of the other books stacked on the edge of the bed. Leah had raided the baby section at the Forks Library and had brought home books on everything from names to home remedies. Dani’s fingertips hooked onto one of the name books and she smiled as she flipped through it slowly. "I just don't want to hurt him."

"It'll hurt him more if you keep leading him on." Leah looked up from the old book and raised one eyebrow as she saw Dani smiling at one of the newer looking name books. "What are you grinning about?"

"This book has popular baby names, their origins, and their meanings." Dani continued snickering softly and Leah cracked a small smile as she rose from her desk chair to sprawl beside her friend on the bed.

"What's so funny about that?" Leah turned the book towards herself slightly and bit her lip to hide the laughter. At the top of the page was the name Paul; the meaning, it claimed, was 'small' or 'humble'. "Well, damn."

Dani lost it. She laughed fully, pressing her face into the mattress to muffle it as Leah shook her head and joined her. Soon enough, Seth was peering through the door at them as they rolled around the bed in laughter. "You two okay?" He spoke loudly to be heard over their giggles.

Dani nodded, smiling as she gestured for him to come over. He did so, plopping onto the bed between the two girls and letting Dani lay the book in his lap. "Look." She pointed at the meaning of Paul and pressed one hand against her mouth to stop the giggles, trying to compose herself.

Seth read the line then chuckled, shaking his head at the irony. He began flipping through the book slowly until he found what he was looking for. "Seth means 'anointed' or 'placed'." He frowned slightly and Dani smiled, laying her head on his shoulder.

"It also says Seth is one of Adam and Eve's sons." She pointed out, making him perk up again.

"I guess that's kinda cool..." He flipped to the beginning of the book and searched for a moment before tapping his finger on a name. "Danielle- the feminine variant of the Hebrew name Daniel, meaning 'God is my judge.'"

Dani hummed softly as she smiled, looking over at Leah. "Do you want to know yours, Lee?"

"Sure." She shrugged, adjusting her worn UCLA sweatshirt over her stomach as she leaned forward to look at the pages of the book. Seth flipped to page containing the L's and she read aloud from over his shoulder, "Leah- a Hebrew name originating from the Old Testament, Leah was the wife of Jacob and mother of six sons and a daughter. It means 'weary.'" Her hand absentmindedly rubbed the small bump hidden by the thick cotton of her shirt, cringing at the thought of having five more children.

Seth frowned in askance, noticing the movement then looking down at the name book in realization and dropping it as though it had tried to bite him. "Oh, my God! You're pregnant!" He stared, open mouthed and wide-eyed at his sister as she glared at him, punching his arm a bit harder than was strictly necessary to get the point across.

"Shut up, twerp!" She looked towards her door, biting her bottom lip softly as she waited to make sure neither of her parents had heard. "Mom can't find out..."

His mouth opened and shut a few times before he managed to squeak, "Is it Sam's?"

Leah cringed automatically at the mention of her ex-boyfriend but nodded as she looked away to mask the pain. "Yeah. It's Sam's."

"He doesn't know?" Seth glanced at Dani, his eyes wide in shock. Dani shrugged, throwing her hands up as if to say, ‘ _I know, right?’_

"How could I tell him?" Leah chuckled humorlessly as she pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on one knee. "He dropped me like a sack of shit, I'm not gonna be the one to trap him with a kid."

"Leah, he needs to know..." Seth trailed off as he saw Dani shake her head. She had already brought it up a few times and it always ended in argument; she didn’t think Seth stood any chance of changing her mind.

"No, Seth. You need to keep your mouth shut." Leah snapped, standing up and walking out of the bedroom quickly. A moment later they heard the bathroom door slam shut down the hall and Seth looked down, clearly hurt.

"She doesn't mean to be a bitch, Sethy. She has a lot going on right now." Dani sighed sadly as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

He nodded and murmured softly as if afraid Leah would hear and yell at him again, "Sam needs to know...she can't just raise a baby by herself, and she can’t hide it forever. Has she really thought this through?"

"I know, Seth. I don't know how to change her mind though." She ran her fingers through his shaggy black hair and closed her eyes, feeling the dull pain of a headache forming. "Maybe I could talk to him...about Emily..."

Seth shrugged, not so sure as he looked down at her with a slight frown. "Might just make him angry."

"It's worth a try though, if it gets Leah some help." She leaned over the edge of the mattress and grabbed her messenger bag, standing up and walking over to the door. "C'mon."

"What? Where are we going?" He asked, standing obediently with a sinking feeling already in his stomach.

"To find Sam." She smiled unbothered at him before heading downstairs. He followed reluctantly, casting a glance towards the still shut bathroom door where Leah had stowed away.

"I don't think we really should-"

"Seth, all we're going to do is go talk. That's it." Dani looked up at him, patting his arm reassuringly as they descended the stairs together, side by side.

"Okay..." He mumbled, knowing something bad was going to happen but also realizing Dani could be just as stubborn as his sister.

oooooooooo

She knocked loudly on the wooden frame of the old screen door, peering into the kitchen through the mesh screen as she waited for someone to answer. Seth was fidgeting behind her, his eyes darting around the porch nervously as though something were going to jump out and eat them. It reminded Dani of the opening scene of The Grinch, and the comparison had her giggling quietly to herself.

"Maybe he's not home." He spoke hopefully, only to sigh heavily as a familiar, raven haired figure came to the door.

"Can I help you with something?" Her soft voice was slightly confused, though welcoming all the same. The warm, brown eye that wasn't hidden behind a bandage traveled past Dani to Seth and lit up in cheerfulness. "Oh, Seth! Please come in."

Emily stepped aside to let the two teens in, then hurried back over to the stove where a pan of muffins was cooling on a rack. Dani lingered by the kitchen table uncertainly, wondering if perhaps she had bitten off more than she could chew this time. "Uhm...you're Emily?"

"Yes, and you are?" Emily gave her a soft, welcoming smile as she easily lifted the muffins from the pan, piling them on a serving plate with her non-bandaged arm.

"Danielle." She watched the smile turn slightly forced, that one warm eye turning cold and uncertain.

"You're Leah's friend." Emily stated, nearly a whisper as she looked down at the steaming muffins in her hand.

"Best friend. Is Sam here? We'd like to speak to him." She felt proud of herself for not sounding like a bumbling idiot, but she still felt uneasy. Something about the older man had felt off to her for a while now, ever since he had disappeared and come back.

"He's at work." Emily said quietly, her grip on the muffin pan so tight that her knuckles were turning white and the pan trembled in her grasp.

"And you're playing homemaker in the house he built for Leah." It came out before she could stop it. She could see Emily's petite frame tense up at the mention of her cousin and she wondered if she had overstepped and lost her chance to get to Sam.

"Don't...if you're here to judge me, you can get out now." Emily's voice lost the warm, welcoming tone and Dani scoffed, figuring all bets were off now that she had no chance at speaking to Sam. Someone needed to take the Quileute Martha Stewart down a few notches.

"Oh, so you don't want judgement. What, can't handle it? You fucked your cousin's fiancé behind her back, but you can't take the heat for it?" Dani glared at the older woman with her arms crossed over her chest. Suddenly, a flash of heat flared up her back and she felt a presence behind her, chilling her to the core as Emily smiled triumphantly.

"What's going on here?" A deep voice rumbled, and she slowly turned, peering up at a furious Sam Uley.


	9. Chapter 9

Paul was sitting on the porch with a knife and a small block of wood in his hand, carefully carving into it when Sam pulled up in his old, beat up truck. He raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering what the older boy wanted, then felt his face drop into a scowl as the older man climbed out of the truck, pulling Dani along with him by her arm. Her face was twisted in fear and pain as Sam’s fingertips dug into the soft muscle of her arm.

"Let her go, Sam." He said calmly, holding the carving knife tightly in his fist, flipping it around into a better grip as his eyes roamed Dani's body to make sure she was unharmed. Something in him was telling him to get her away from Sam quickly, a shiver going down his spine as he saw the man’s dark eyes swirling with something inhuman barely restrained behind the cold mask.

"You need to control your _sister,_ Lahote." Sam's arms were trembling, his grip tight around Dani's bicep as she tried to pull away. Paul could see the way his fingers were digging into her soft flesh from all the way up on the porch and it enraged him to think that it would leave a mark on her smooth skin.

"And you need to let her go." He stepped off the porch, taking the steps two at a time with his heavy boots thudding on the old wood. As he stood in front of him, grip never loosening on his knife, he hoped like hell he’d be able to defend them both; he quickly masked that doubt by sneering and crossing his arms over his chest threateningly. Sam had been huge before his mysterious disappearance, being school quarterback for four years plus doing construction around the reservation, but now the guy seemed massive- like a brick wall that could snap you in half. He wondered if he actually stood a chance in a fight against the older boy now.

One look into Dani's watery, fear-stricken eyes gave him the resolve he needed to stand his ground. He brought his fist back and slammed it directly into Sam Uley's nose, feeling the familiar crack of bone on bone before Sam stumbled back, blood dripping to the grassy yard as Dani yanked her arm away and moved. "Shit, Paul!"

"I told you to let her go, asshole." Paul gently took Dani's hand, pulling her to his side and wrapping one arm around her shoulders to hold her closely. "You okay?"

Dani nodded, giving him a soft, reassuring smile as she wrapped her arms around his midsection and hooked her fingertips in his belt loops. "Yeah...thanks."

"She needs to learn to mind her own business." Sam spat on the ground, wiping his nose with the back of his hand to keep the blood out of his mouth. If Paul's punch had broken anything, which he was 99 percent sure he had, it looked like it had already healed

"Leah is my best friend and she still has unfinished business with you. Therefore, I have business with you. Dick." Dani threw the last word in as an afterthought, rubbing her sore arm softly to soothe the ache his hard fingers had left. The Sam standing in front of her was someone she hadn't met before. The Sam that she and Leah had known all their lives would never have put hands on her, let alone over something as insignificant as a few terse words, and she wondered what could have happened to the quiet, strong man her best friend had fallen head over heels for.

Something in Sam's nearly black eyes flashed at the mention of Leah's name and he seemed to forget the broken nose. "What unfinished business?" His voice was softer now, his eyes seemingly rimmed completely in yellow. Dani nearly did a double take at the sight before blaming it on the sunlight shining through the trees overhead. After all, Sam had chocolate brown eyes; she had seen them many a time, and never had they looked this shade of glowing yellow.

"You need to talk to her to find out, not hide out in the house _you built for her_ with _her cousin_." Dani couldn't hold back the disgust coating her words. The man in front of her wasn’t the man Leah had fallen for years ago. He was a coward, as far as she was concerned.

Sam held Dani's gaze for a moment before nodding once, a minute tip of the head accepting her words. His eyes shifted to Paul's and his brows furrowed as he realized that Paul was the same height as him. A few weeks ago, he had been just under 6'2", but now he was sure the 16-year-old was pushing 6'5". His frown deepened as he let his eyes fall to the bloody hand hanging by Paul's side. That punch was no ordinary human punch. His hand should have been broken, or at least sprained from the force of hitting a shapeshifter, yet Paul showed no sign of injury, not even a few busted knuckles.

"I need to talk to Billy..." Sam muttered before abruptly turning and climbing into his old F150. Paul kept his arm around Dani protectively until the old truck was out of sight, then looked down at her with one raised eyebrow as he finally relaxed.

"Making new friends?" He joked, although on the inside he was still seething. He could see the faint fingerprint shaped bruises forming on Dani's slim bicep and it made him want to find Sam and rip his arms off for marking his girl like that.

Dani let out a soft chuckle and nodded, looking down to examine his hand as she tried not to look into his warm eyes. "I guess you could say that. C'mon, you should get this cleaned."

Overhead the sun was disappearing behind clouds, blocking the view of the sunset as they walked into the small cabin together.

oooooooooo

As Paul exited the bathroom, his hand scrubbed free of any of Sam's blood, he was surprised to see Dani is his bed, wearing a pair of tiny grey sleep shorts and a blue tank top with a bowl of popcorn resting on her thighs. She gave him a soft, unsure smile as he lingered in the doorway, running a hand through his thick hair. "I thought maybe we could watch a movie...if you wanted to..."

They hadn't watched more than a couple movies together since elementary school. Dani wasn't much of a movie person, and to be honest, neither was Paul. He preferred music while Dani preferred reading. There was only one movie they had watched over and over again since they were kids; they had run through so many copies of the VHS and then the DVD that their parents had started keeping a backup in their room just in case.

Paul gave her a soft smile, walking over to the bed and setting his knee on the edge to give her time to get comfy. She laid back against the headboard, balancing the popcorn by her side as he crawled across his queen-sized mattress and laid beside her, laying his head playfully on her small, perky chest. She giggled and ran her fingers through his hair as he hit play on the remote and the blue Disney logo lit up the TV screen.

They watched Aladdin in a comfortable silence, Dani playing with his shoulder length hair and Paul munching on the buttery popcorn as she did. He had shifted positions, moving to lay between her slim legs with his back to her belly so that she could braid his hair, something her own hair was too short to do to. He could feel her heartbeat against his back, and it threatened to lull him to sleep until he heard her singing softly along to the movie.

" _A whole new world...A dazzling place I never knew..."_ Her nimble fingers tied the hair elastic she always kept on her wrist around the end of his newly braided hair. " _But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear...that now I'm in a whole new world with you..."_

He didn't bother to hide his smile as he ran his hands up and down her legs lazily, delighting in the shiver that ran down her spine and made her press closer to his back. "One day, I'm gonna show you the world." He murmured, making her smile and blush softly as she kissed his cheek tenderly.

"I don't need the world. I just need my Prince Ali." She laid her head on his shoulder, her arms laying over his shoulders and crossing on his chest as she let out a content sigh.

He snorted softly at the declaration, tracing small swirl designs on her smooth thighs. "I can't give you a damn prince." He tried not to sound petulant, sighing as he stopped rubbing and just rested his hands on her legs.

Dani giggled, shaking her head as she shoved his shoulder playfully and raised her head to peer up at him. "I don't even need a prince, Paul. Just be my Aladdin."

He rolled over, resting his hands on either side of her hips as he hovered above her, his face nearly level with her breasts. "Dani..." His face was relaxed for once and for the first time, she could see the uncertainty in his eyes. "I..."

She ran her fingers along his high cheek bones, shaking her head minutely. "One day, we're going to see the world. Together. And it'll be amazing because I'll be with you."

She leaned in, surprising him as she pressed her soft lips against his in a gentle yet passionate kiss. He responded slowly, parting his mouth to allow his tongue to brush against her soft, plump lips and beg for entrance. She granted it almost immediately, her lips opening just enough for his tongue to slip in and dance with hers as her hands explored his muscular chest. Paul was built, and Dani was enjoying the chance to feel his toned body more thoroughly than when they cuddled. He spent more time out back with a punching bag than most people spent sleeping daily, and it was obvious in the dips and curves of his body, from his sculpted chest down to his perfect abs. She could feel his body heat seeping through his threadbare white t-shirt and her thin, ribbed tank top and it warmed her straight to her core, like a giant blanket fresh out of the dryer.

"Take it off." She mumbled against his lips, tugging on his t-shirt, raising it up over his stomach. She could feel him smirk against her lips before he pulled away, raising up on his knees and looking down at her as he whipped the white cotton over his head and tossed it to the cluttered floor carelessly. She let her eyes roam his chest, a small smile on her lips as her fingertips danced along the ridges of his abs shyly. "I feel like the ugly stepsister next to you."

He shook his head, leaning down to press a searing open-mouthed kiss against her exposed collarbone. "You're beautiful. Prettier than a firework show." He smiled as he saw the blush intensify on her cheeks, his hands slowly caressing her gently curved hips as the pink hue travelled down her neck and onto her chest.

"I didn't think you still remembered that day." She whispered softly as her hands twirled the thick braid that she had finagled his hair into around her index finger. "You told me my eyes were sparklier than the green fireworks."

"And I meant it." He said quietly, looking down into her eyes as his fingertips slowly moved up her waist, the heat from his hand resting against the bottom of her rib cage. "Your eyes are beautiful."

"They look like swamp water. Yours look like that stone that mom keeps on her dresser. The little black one." Dani whispered as she slowly wound her arms around his neck, biting her bottom lip softly.

Paul smiled then shook his head, forgoing a reply in favor of leaning down and kissing her once more. Dani pulled the tie out of his hair and combed her fingers through it, undoing the braid and letting the ebony strands fall over his shoulders and brush against her face like little strands of silk as they kissed.

Paul's hand slowly slid up her side, gathering the clingy material of her tank top as he slid it up to just below the swell of her breasts, his hand spanning nearly her entire stomach as his fingertips dipped under the fabric, expecting to feel a bra.

His heart nearly stopped when he felt nothing but smooth flesh. Dani let out a soft gasp that shot straight to the tent forming in the front of his worn jeans and he pulled away from the kiss to pull her tank top off, tossing it to the floor to join his own shirt. She bit her bottom lip softly, looking up at him with love shining in her emerald colored eyes as he let his eyes roam her body for the first time without obstruction.

Those awed brown eyes slowly moved from her delicate shoulders, down her chest to her small, perky breasts tipped with rosy pink nipples. They were rising and falling slightly with each breath she took, and it mesmerized him.

"Paul..." She whispered nervously after a moment of him silently staring at her. ‘ _Is he trying to find a way out of this? What if they're too small?’_ She had seen the kinds of girls he brought home, and her A-cups didn't hold a candle to their figures.

His eyes flickered to her eyes and she could see a small smile forming on his lips. "You're so beautiful, Dani." He murmured, pressing his lips gently against her collarbone before ducking his head down to capture one of her nipples in his hot mouth. She let out a soft, surprised moan and wound her fingers into his long, dark hair to hold him there.

He sucked for a moment before pulling away and switching to the other, giving it equal love before moving back up to kiss her passionately and replacing the warmth of his mouth with his hands. She wrapped her legs around his hips once more, pressing against him as close as she possibly could as they continued making out.

A loud knock on the front door made them jump apart, both breathing heavily and unwilling to let go of each other. "Who the hell comes over here and knocks?" Dani asked breathlessly, frowning as she reached for her shirt and pulled it back on just in case it was something important. Paul groaned softly as he stood up, tugging his own t-shirt back on and holding the hem of it over the bulge in his jeans as he shook his head.

"Whoever it is, I'm gonna kick their ass." He muttered, walking towards the door to answer it. He wrenched the solid oak door open, the hinges creaking in protest to reveal Sam standing on the porch with his mouth set in a grim line. "What the fuck, Uley?"

"We need to talk, Paul."


	10. Chapter 10

When Paul returned from outside, he was more confused than anything- confused and a little pissed as he slammed the front door shut and stomped down the hallway to his bedroom.

"He told me to stay away from you." He ranted as he paced along the foot of his bed, running a hand through his hair in aggravation. Dani watched, sighing softly as she rose up on her knees on the rumpled bedsheets and gently grabbed his hand to halt him in his tracks.

"Paul, c'mere." She tugged him until he relented to her tender coaxing and plopped onto the bed beside her, his hands still trembling slightly as they reached for her. "No one, especially Sam Uley, can keep us apart."

His dark eyes gazed into hers like sparkling shards of obsidian, clouded with worry and fear. "He seemed pretty convinced he could. I don't trust him, Dani." He sighed as he cast his eyes down towards a small tear in the faded blue throw blanket on his bed. "That punch earlier should've broken his nose. I felt the crunch, it should be bruised or crooked or some shit, but it isn't. It's like it never happened."

Dani frowned as she laced her slim, pale fingers with Paul's thicker, darker ones and squeezed gently as if reminding him that she was there. "I don't know...when I was at his house earlier...I could _feel_ him, Paul. It creeped the fuck out of me. He came up behind me and I could just feel the heat flashes going down my spine."

Paul's jaw set in determination as he hooked one finger beneath Dani's chin and lifted her face until her eyes met his. "He won't get near you, alright?"

"But what about you?" Dani murmured, her thin brows furrowing in worry as she laid her free hand on his cheek, her fingertips brushing against his cheekbones. His eyelashes fluttered and cast shadows on his cheeks as he closed his eyes, wrapping his free hand gently around her wrist to keep her there.

"I can handle one cheating asshole on steroids." He tried to give her his signature smirk, but it felt fake even to him. Instead, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers once more, hoping to convey his feelings better through touch than words. He was always better at that.

oooooooooo

"You need to tell him, Lee." Dani was straddling her friends lap a few days later, holding the older girl's hands above her head in the damp sand and pinning her down in case she tried to run again. Seth sat off to the side, combing his fingers through the sand as he watched their exchange in fascination, glancing at them every once in awhile as though he was seeing something he shouldn’t. “He needs to know!”

"He doesn't need to know shit." Leah spat out, struggling against Dani's surprisingly strong grip as she turned her murderous gaze to her younger brother who shrunk back into his hoodie in fear. “Traitor!”

"Lee! Listen to me for one second." Dani paused to make sure Leah was listening, letting the older girl huff and grumble before continuing in a solemn voice. "My dad left my mom as soon as the second line showed up on the pregnancy test. I'm over it, I have a dad and shit is cool. But what if this baby grows up like Embry? Having to see his father around the rez but never knowing who it is, having a single mother struggling to take care of him. Sam could at least pay you child support, if he doesn't want to be in the kid's life. You're my best friend, Lee, I don't want you to have to work your life away because of him." She willed her voice to stay strong as she stared into her best friend’s eyes pleadingly, her grip loosening once she said what she needed to say.

Leah's eyes slowly filled with liquid before a single tear ran down her copper skin and she stopped struggling. "But what if he _does_ want to share our kid? I can't...I can't see him every day. Not with _her."_

"You don't have to see him, Lee. If you want, Seth or I can be the go-between. And we can keep Emily far away from you and the baby as long as you want." Dani let go of Leah's wrists, cupping the girl’s cheeks gently as she rested her forehead against hers. "Just please give him that opportunity. If not for him, do it for the baby."

"I-I'll..." Leah swallowed past the lump forming in her throat and managed a watery smile. "I'll think about it. Really, D." She wrapped her arms around Dani's small frame, hugging her tightly.

"Good." Dani hugged her back, smiling softly as she glanced at Seth. "Now let's go for a walk, Seth looks like he's on the verge of crying."

"I am not!" Seth's face flushed until he resembled a dark tomato, crossing his arms over his chest as Leah and Dani stood up from the sand and dusted themselves off.

"Sure." Leah rolled her eyes, slipping into her newfound brash façade as she rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. "That's why your leg hasn't stopped twitching since Dani tackled me."

Dani giggled as she kissed Seth's cheek, only intensifying his blush. "Aw, we're only teasing, Sethy."

"I know." He mumbled and looked down, rubbing the toe of his sneaker into the damp sand. A moment later he crouched down and searched through the sand, eventually coming back up with a small, pearl-colored seashell. "Dani?"

Dani rolled her eyes good-naturedly but opened her messenger bag for him to drop the shell into carefully. He had already begun filling it with other shells, small scraps of driftwood, and stones. "Sethy, you're going to run out of room for these things in your room."

"Nope, because I'm going to make them into something. And if I do run out of room, I can use yours." He smiled mischievously before bounding over closer to the water in search of more shells and sea glass.

"That kid was dropped on his head as a child." Leah spoke monotonously, though a hint of a smile was peeking out on her rosy lips.

Dani laughed, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked over at Leah fondly. "Yeah, probably by you."

"Probably." Leah shrugged and pulled her baggy, grey cardigan tighter around her body as she watched her little brother gather seashells by the sea shore.

The two girls stood in a comfortable silence for a few moments, just looking out at the calm, cool waters of First Beach until Dani heard someone call her name from down the beach.

She turned towards the voice and tried to hide a frown when she saw Embry rushing towards her, followed by none other than the reservation’s golden boy, Jacob Black.

Jacob had gotten on her nerves since preschool. He was the perpetually happy golden child of the rez and seemed to get along with everyone except for the Parker-Lahote kids. He had tattled and started rumors so many times, Paul was likely to punch him on sight by the time they reached middle school. Dani tried to stay civil with him, considering they shared two best friends and a small reservation, but they were far from being best pals.

Once Embry reached Dani, he gave her a small, shy grin and ran a hand through his long, wavy hair. Jacob stood behind him, his arms crossed as he watched their exchange in thinly veiled distaste. "Hey, Dani."

"Hey, Em." She smiled at him, then shifted her eyes over his shoulder. Her smiled became slightly forced, but she kept it up just to be polite. "Jacob."

"Dani." Jacob acknowledged blandly before Seth ran up to him, an excited grin on his lips and a handful of stones and shells.

"Jake! Hey!" Seth exclaimed, bouncing like an over eager puppy at Jacob’s side. Dani smiled softly as she watched Jacob take the younger boy’s enthusiasm in stride, joining Seth in his search for driftwood and odds and ends in the damp sand.

Embry cleared his throat slightly and looked out at the water for a moment once they had gone, glad his hair masked the flush he knew was probably crawling up his neck . "So, what's up? You just hanging out?"

"Yeah, Leah here was close to becoming a hermit, so we forced her out of the house." Dani smiled, looking back at her and giggling as Leah threw up her middle finger in response. "What are you two up to?"

"Just walking around. Quil's busy at his mom's store."

"Cool, cool." They fell into an awkward silence for a moment before she smiled again, not to be deterred. "Dad brought me a copy of the new Mortal Kombat last time he came home."

"Oh yeah?" Embry's dark eyes glittered with anticipation and she nodded solemnly, though she kept her giant grin.

"Yes." She crossed her arms, raising one eyebrow at him in a jokingly stern challenge. "You think you can beat me, Em?"

"I _know_ I can." He corrected confidently, smirking as he offered her his hand and finally got the nerve to meet her gaze.

They shook hands firmly, dissolving the tension as they returned to their motley crew of friends hand in hand.

oooooooooo

_"Brutality- Sub Zero wins!"_

Embry stared at the screen in shock, his mouth slightly agape as Dani's character drove an ice dagger into his stomach, then his head.

"Dude, no fair!" He whined, falling back against the wall and stretching his long legs out until they extended past the edge of his bed. “I thought you just got this game?”

Dani shrugged, smiling innocently at him as she returned to the character select screen and sat the controller aside. "I guess I’m on a winning streak."

His eyes darkened and a mischievous smirk spread over his face before he wrapped his arms around Dani's waist, hauling her into his lap and tickling her mercilessly. "You tricked me!"

"N-no! E-Em- N- S-Stop!" She stuttered breathlessly between giggles, squirming and trying to wrap her arms around herself to protect her ticklish ribs. He laughed and tried harder, his hands moving to tickle the back of her calves where he was positive that she was ticklish. She shrieked in surprise and tried to shove his hands away to no avail as she kicked and flailed in his lap. "No! Em, not- not the legs!"

"Not the legs, huh?" He grinned as she squirmed out of his lap and laid back against his pillows, panting as she looked up at him with flushed cheeks and sparkling, happy eyes. His hand snatched her feet, easily wrapping one hand around both ankles as his other hand tickled the soft soles of her feet.

She shrieked and tried to kick, this time unable to escape his hold on her ankles as she grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the face with it. He laughed, shaking it off, and moved to lay above her, virtually pinning her to the bed as she wriggled under his slim body. "Now that wasn't very nice, Dani." He pouted playfully, his hands resting on either side of her head to hold himself up.

"Neither was tickling me, you ass!" She giggled as she rested her hands on his bare chest. He had shed his shirt hours ago after spilling soda down the front of it, leaving him in a pair of blue basketball shorts that were riding low on his hips. She herself still had on her thin lounge shorts and a LPHS t-shirt.

"It seems to have worked out in my favor though." His grin widened and she rolled her eyes, scoffing in disbelief.

"Your goal was to get on top of me?" She raised her eyebrow at him, her hands slowly running up to his shoulders then winding her arms around his neck.

"Yup. Or you on top of me." He shrugged shamelessly and she burst out in a fit of giggles. It always amazed her how confident he became when it was just the two of them. He turned into a flirty, undeniably male teenager who was completely opposite of the shy, quiet boy his friends knew. She was flattered that she got to see this side of him and no one else did.

"Such a perv." She teased, a relaxed smile on her lips as she raised her head to kiss his cheek softly to show she wasn’t upset.

He smiled, then sighed as he turned serious and his face lost all traces of good-natured playfulness. "Dani, I need to tell you something..."

"What's wrong, Emmy?" She frowned, her hand coming up to rest on his cheek, her fingertips smoothing the small baby hairs at his hairline.

He sighed heavily, his teeth digging into his bottom lip momentarily as he tried to think about how to tell her. He knew that coming on too strong would scare her off and damage their entire friendship but being complacent and waiting at the sidelines hadn’t gotten him anywhere either. Finally, he decides to do it like a band-aid, laying his cards out quick and all at once.

"I really like you, Dani. Would you please go on a date with me?"

He ducked his head to hide the vivid blush threatening to overtake his tan face. She stayed quiet- longer than she knew she should have as she chewed softly on her bottom lip. ‘ _Oh, crap...what do I do?’_ Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before she let out a soft breath and murmured her decision, hoping it was the right one.

oooooooooo

The next morning, Dani walked up the driveway to the cabin with her head down, squinting to avoid the bright, summer sun that shone through the trees and attacked her sensitive eyes. She could see both her mother's car and her father's work truck, as well as Paul's car, all lined up in front of the cabin. Her pace quickened, eager to hear what her mother's results were, and she rushed into the house, calling out, "Mom? Dad?"

"In the living room." Daniel called back, his voice unusually subdued. Dani frowned, her steps faltering for a moment before continuing towards the living room at a more hesitant pace.

"Is something wrong?" She asked softly, seeing her mother curled up in the recliner with a throw blanket wrapped around her body like a cocoon and a pile of crumpled tissues littering her lap.

"No." Daniel responded, a forced smile on his lips as he tore his eyes away from Amanda’s swaddled form. "No, Dani. We're okay."

"Are you sure? How did the tests go?" She murmured softly, stepping closer to her mother, close enough to touch her soft, brown hair tenderly.

"Danielle, we're fine." Daniel snapped, making her eyes automatically fill with tears. Her father rarely raised his voice at her, but when he did, it hurt.

"'Kay." Dani mumbled and turned, fleeing down the hallway to her room before they could see her tears, not wanting to upset them more.

She paused across the hall at Paul's door, only to sigh when she heard his snores. Not wanting to wake him and disturb his sleep just because she was sad, she turned and walked dejectedly back to her own room to change for her lunch date with Embry.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on FFN June 26, 2017


End file.
